


As You Wish

by LoveThemWinchesters



Category: CW Network RPF, Princess Bride (1987), Supernatural RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Angst, First Time, Humor, M/M, Romance, True Love, bottom!Jensen, top!Jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-05
Updated: 2013-07-05
Packaged: 2017-12-14 01:45:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 52,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/831282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveThemWinchesters/pseuds/LoveThemWinchesters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a story about a young farmboy and a merchant’s son who fall deeply in love with one another; it's a story about true love. When they are found in a compromising position, Jensen and Jared are given a difficult choice. Jared, not wanting to come in between Jensen and what's left of his family, makes the decision to leave. Jensen knows his true love will return for him and he waits patiently...until the day his heart is broken. He receives word that his true love’s ship was overtaken by the Dread Pirate Roberts and Jared is said to have been among the murdered. A/U. In the beginning of the story, Jared is 17 and Jensen is 21, but for the most part, they are 22 and 26. (Note: I don't mention Jensen/Misha above, but there will be some VERY MINOR scenes with them. I just wanted you to know.) -- You don't have to have watched The Princess Bride for this fic to make sense.</p><p>Warning:  M/M. Explicit sexual content (Minor underage: Jared is 17 in the beginning) Please do not read if you do not like or are uncomfortable w/this content.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the 1987 movie The Princess Bride, all rights of which belong to William Goldman (author of the original book) and 20th Century Fox. And also Supernatural which is, as always, property of the CW and Kripke.
> 
> As the story moves along, you'll notice I borrowed lines from the movie to keep the movie characters true to who they are...and some of the scenes just wouldn't be what they were if anything was changed too much. All credit for those go to the above.
> 
>  
> 
> (As with my other fics, I have no beta and I self-edit. Please don't shoot me for any errors. I do my best.)

 

 

Jensen Ackles was the only child of a wealthy merchant. At twenty-one, he was well-educated and fluent in four languages which was a rarity in the region of Florin where he was born and raised. He had known all along that the reason for his higher education was that he was expected to take over the family business in a few short years. His father had been talking retirement for a while now, and Jensen needed to be ready for when that day finally came.

His father, Alan, was known for being a shrewd businessman and was well-respected for his keen knowledge in the industry of trade and shipping, and he knew how to turn a better-than-decent profit; Jensen knew he was expected to do the same. He also knew that his father expected him to marry soon, plant roots. In the elder Ackles’ eyes, marriage showed that a man was honest and hard-working. Alan had been putting pressure on Jensen for the last couple of years, even going so far as to set up several dates for his son, especially with one young woman in particular, Jensen’s long-time friend, Danneel. (It was a little weird ‘dating’ someone you’d known since you were like four.)

Jensen didn’t want to do the marriage thing, at least not now anyway, but his father’s persistence was starting to wear him down. Sure, he liked Danneel. She was smart and also very beautiful, with her long, auburn hair and sparkling brown eyes; she had a great figure, too. She made Jensen laugh, and it didn’t hurt that she was a total sweetheart. But Danneel wasn’t exactly what Jensen was looking for.

Jensen found himself lying in bed many a night wondering what the hell he was going to do. Wanting to keep his father happy was one thing, but to commit himself to something like a marriage with someone he didn’t truly love _that way_ for the rest of his life was a little too much. Jensen resigned to give himself until the end of the summer. By then, he’d either have to have a serious conversation with his dad or propose.

There was a reason Jensen wasn’t jumping on the marriage wagon. He was gay; he’d known this, without a doubt, since he had hit puberty and found himself attracted to the hard, rugged lines of a man rather than the soft, rounded features of a woman. And he was sure his father would completely disown him if he ever found out. It was bad enough that Jensen had made the concession and told the man he would take over the family business – he really would rather not have, but well, you did things for family – and his father was all Jensen had left of family since his mother had died when he was very young. But doing something that would affect him behind the closed doors of his own home, literally for the rest of his life, was another matter entirely.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Once the spring thaw hit, Alan decided to change things up and Jensen wasn’t the least bit surprised when his father sat down to talk to him early one morning.

“I think it’s time you start getting more hands-on down at the office, Jen,” Alan began. “Our customers need to see you around the docks more often so they can get comfortable working with you.”

Jensen pushed his empty breakfast plate aside and took a sip of his coffee. “Yeah, I knew I’d have to eventually. That’s fine.” He looked down at the ceramic mug in his hand and swirled the dark liquid around in it; it was already half empty. Then he looked up at his father and asked, “Who’s gonna take care of things around here? I’m not going to have enough time to do both, not working full-time.” The animals needed to be kept up with; the house, yard, and outbuildings also needed regular maintenance; there was the garden, too. He paused, a worried look consumed his features. “You’re not planning on selling the place, are you, Dad?”

“Of course not, Jen. Never. You know that.” The elder Ackles got up and began clearing the dishes from the table. “I’m bringing someone in, a young farmboy who’s looking for work. He was recommended by a client and he seems like a nice enough kid. I met with him last week.”

Jensen lifted an eyebrow. Now _that_ was a surprise. He’d never expected his father to spend money on hired help; the man was always so frugal with his money. He drained the remainder of his coffee as Alan spoke.

“He’s capable of doing everything you’ve been doing and he won’t cost much. And just so you know, we’ll be providing room and board for him, too.” The elder Ackles stopped by Jensen’s side and placed a warm, but firm hand to his son’s shoulder. “It’s more important that I have you down at the office. You need to learn other facets of the business aside from just balancing the books.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The farmboy – Jensen later learned his name was Jared – would be bunking in the loft of the barn. Jensen didn’t see him often due to his new hours down at the office, nor did he have reason to talk much to the young man. Any conversation with him usually consisted of a request for something to be done and Jared replying with, “As you wish.” Jared never once complained; he just quietly did what was asked of him.

It didn’t happen right away, but as the days grew longer, Jensen noticed himself taking more than a casual glance at Jared. When the weather was warm, the farmboy would strip out of his layers of clothing and Jensen couldn’t help but take notice then.

Jensen began demanding trivial tasks to be completed, things he could have done for himself, just to be able to catch a glimpse of the deep-dimpled smile Jared would flash at him before turning to do the requested chore. And as usual, he would hear the only words Jared ever spoke to him, “As you wish.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

One hot day in late June, Alan had taken pity on Jensen after the younger man had complained of a headache and sent him home early. Jensen rode his horse up the drive (by that time the headache was all but gone) and noticed Jared was out back repairing the north end of the barn. He thought it a shame that the old building had taken such a severe beating during one of the storms over the previous winter.

Jensen brought the mare to a stop before the farmboy noticed he was there. Slipping down from the warm leather saddle and looping the reins over the fence post, he quietly made his way around the back of the small cottage he and his father called home.

The property that their house was situated on was on a small hill and had fields on all sides of it. The fields eventually gave way to a dense and mature forest, a place Jensen was very familiar with (and fond of) from his many forays into it while out riding Ginny. It was the place his mother had dreamed of settling down in to raise a family and his father planned on remaining there until his dying days. Jensen always smiled when he thought about how romantic his parents had been. It was too bad everything had been taken away from them so long ago. His father never once thought about re-marrying.

Jensen sighed as he blinked away his thoughts of his parents and settled up against the side of the house to watch the young man work. Jared was lean, almost too thin; and he was just shy of Jensen’s height of 6’1”. But during the weeks he’d worked for the Ackles’, he was starting to fill out with a bit of muscle. His skin was a few shades darker than it had been when he first arrived and the coloring worked well for him in Jensen’s opinion. But what drew Jensen in the most were Jared’s eyes; they were damn near spellbinding. On more than one occasion Jensen had found himself getting lost in them, finding himself tongue-tied and forgetting what he had initially began to request of the man. They weren’t just your typical, brown or blue. They were like fresh cinnamon and sweet honey – hazel mixed with soft flecks of gold. And the one time he found himself a little too close to the teen, he swore there was a hint of blue there as well.

Jensen quietly peeked around the side of the house, watching Jared. _It’s not stalking,_ he told himself. _Just gotta make sure the kid is doing what he should be doing, earning his pay._ But he knew that was nothing more than an excuse as he gazed at the muscles bunching under the tanned skin of Jared’s shirtless torso. The young man was currently prying an old board from the barn wall, sweat trickling down between his shoulder blades. When it came loose, Jared threw the broken wood to the ground with a clatter from where he stood high up on the ladder and then wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his forearm.

Jensen sucked his bottom lip in and chewed on it as he watched. He could feel himself hardening in his pants and palmed himself. His eyes widened when he realized he was getting aroused from just the sight of Jared. _Crap._ This was so wrong. He was eying a _boy_ who was roughly four years his junior if he remembered correctly. Jared was only what, sixteen, seventeen? He couldn’t remember exactly what his father had said.

He turned and stumbled over a metal bucket which had been left out. “Shit! Fuck!” _So much for making a clean getaway._ But Jensen kept going; he didn’t look back as he continued around the back of the house to retrieve his horse. And because he didn’t look back, he didn’t see the knowing smirk on Jared’s face.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared had heard the soft _clip-clop_ of the mare’s hooves on the gravel drive when Jensen got home. He thought it strange that the man was back so early, but it was none of his business. The Ackles’ treated him well and he wanted to keep it that way. There was no telling how they would react if he started getting nosey. Anyway, he wanted to get the back wall of the barn stripped by this evening so he could start replacing the broken boards in the morning. It was a big job and it was made all that much slower by the heat that had decided to move in over the last few days.

As he was prying a board loose with the claw of his hammer, Jared noticed movement from the corner of his eye. He didn’t turn his head to acknowledge the disturbance, but he knew. He knew Jensen was hiding just out of sight from him and was watching his every move. Just knowing the man was there stirred something in Jared. Hell, the _man_ himself stirred something in Jared, something _good._

Jared might have only been sixteen (seventeen in just a couple of short weeks), but he felt like he was going on twenty-seven. An orphan since he was eleven – well, he wasn’t really positive on that. His dad disappeared before he was born, so he could technically still have a living parent… But his mom had passed away due to a long-term illness that the doctors could do nothing about – he’d been on his own for nearly six years and was a lot more mature than most his age. He’d been around the proverbial block so to speak. Sure Jensen was older than him by a few years, but Jared sensed he could show the man a thing or two when it came to what he was sure they both wanted.

Jared could tell Jensen was trying to hide _it_ from his father, but he could see it clearly, the soft side of the man, the more feminine qualities, even under the butch cut of his sandy-colored hair…the long, dark eyelashes, the full and sinful lips that were made for – well, Jared wouldn’t quite go there…yet – the certain swing of Jensen’s hips when he walked, no matter how much swagger he tried to cover it up with (Jared smiled just thinking about it), and then there were the moss-green eyes and the dusting of freckles across his nose (and Jared was sure there were more of those elsewhere)... Jensen was a thing of beauty. Jared supposed he watched the man as much as he was being watched himself.

He cringed when he heard Jensen trip over the bucket and heard the mumbled curses, but he couldn’t help the chuckle that welled up from his throat and shook his head as he thought about the man’s embarrassment. Something was going to have to happen soon before Jensen hurt himself playing spy.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Three days passed since Jensen was sure he had made a total fool out of himself; he’d been avoiding Jared ever since. It was the weekend and he decided to take a ride out into the country to air himself out, reset himself. There was just one problem with that, he’d have to face Jared. But maybe if he was quiet enough, he could sneak into the stables and saddle up Ginny himself before Jared noticed. It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to do it; he’d done it for years.

Jensen was three-quarters of the way to the barn when Oscar and Icarus shot out from the nearby trees and rushed ahead of him into the barn, causing a ruckus and scaring the horses. “Damn dogs,” he growled under his breath and picked up his pace. He was only a few paces away now; if he could-

And there was Jared, stepping out from the barn. Jensen stopped in his tracks as he stared. Jared looked like he had just woken up; his face was still ruddy and flushed from sleep and his hair was sticking up in all different directions. He yawned and stretched his arms up over his head, arching his back and – _Oh god!_ – his shirt rode up, revealing the tanned and lean muscles of his stomach…and a light dusting of a happy trail leading down… And – _Fuck!_ – Jensen cut that train of thought right off.

Jensen cleared his throat to get Jared’s attention and the teen spun, a bright smile on his face. _Really? Did he have to be that perfect?_ Jensen swallowed and tried to speak evenly as he crossed the threshold of the barn, but wasn’t sure what it came out sounding like. “Farmboy, saddle my horse. I’m going for a morning ride.” He turned on his heel before the blush riding up his cheeks could make itself known and made a beeline towards the far corner of the barn where he would find his riding gear.

“As you wish,” were the words he heard behind him, causing him to trip over his own feet.

Jensen was pacing impatiently outside when Jared led Ginny out into the sun a few minutes later. The farmboy lifted an eyebrow as he handed the reins over to him. Jensen could only imagine what he looked like to the younger man, all out of sorts and fidgeting. Their fingers brushed lightly in the transfer and Jensen felt as if a spark shot up his arm from the touch. He pulled his hand away almost instantly, nearly dropping the leather straps. _What is wrong with me?_ Jensen glanced at Jared and mumbled a quick, “Thanks,” before he stepped up into the stirrup and swung his other leg over the horse, giving her a quick kick and a verbal command to get the hell out of there.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Days passed and summer was moving along at a much quicker pace than Jensen wanted it to. His father was keeping him busy at the office all day, every day, and sometimes they were even there on the weekends. Business flourished in the warmer months. More than once, his dad would bring up Danneel and ask how things were going between the two of them. Jensen responded with vague answers that he could tell weren’t satisfying the man; his personal deadline was just over a month away, too, and he didn’t want to think about it any more than he had to.

And then there was Jared and the tension that arose every time he and the farmboy were within eyesight of each other. Jensen had to continue to remind himself that Jared was really just a kid, but his body didn’t seem to give a damn; the temperature always seemed to rise by a few degrees when they were near each other. Out of aggravation, Jensen found himself bossing the teen around more and more as of late, but no matter how cruel he came off, Jared never complained. The words ‘As you wish’ were his only response before he smiled and did what was asked of him.

Jensen was starting to pick up on that smile. It wasn’t as innocent as he first thought it was and every time he was at the receiving end of it, it sent shivers up his spine…not bad shivers either.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

One Saturday morning when Alan had business in town, Jensen was standing around in the kitchen debating on what to have for breakfast. He had already brewed some coffee and was sipping it when Jared came crashing through the door and into the room. They both froze and stared at each other, the tension in the room immediately becoming palpable.

Jensen somehow broke out of the spell first. He set his mug down on the stone countertop and looked around the room for something to demand of the young man. His eyes alighted on a pan hanging from the rack on the ceiling. _Eggs. I’ll make eggs for breakfast. And I’ll need that pan to do it._ He could reach it with no problem, but instead he said, “Farmboy, fetch me that pan.” Jensen gestured to the pan with his chin.

Jared smirked – _Oh, god, that smirk_ , Jensen thought, _it’s gonna kill me one of these days_ – and said, “As you wish,” before stepping over to retrieve the pan.

And then the words came out before Jensen could stop them (apparently the filter between his brain and mouth had sprung a leak), “Kiss me, farmboy.” He saw Jared’s eyes widen in surprise. His own were probably wider when he realized what he had just said. _Oh god, oh god, oh god… What did I just do?_ Jensen couldn’t move; he just stood there, lips parted as he took panicked breaths.

Jared carefully placed the pan onto the counter beside Jensen’s favorite coffee mug and moved into the man’s space, his features softening at once into something Jensen had never seen before. “As you wish,” he replied and curled a large hand around the back of Jensen’s head, threading his fingers into the short hair, and pulled the older man in for a tender kiss.

Jensen closed his eyes as their mouths met. The kiss was tentative at first, but then he felt Jared’s tongue caress his lips, asking for entrance, and he opened for him, granting him access and meeting the younger man halfway. Jensen let Jared take control of the kiss and quickly found himself becoming light-headed as all of his blood rushed south; his knees began to give out and a soft moan crept up out of his throat. Before he had a chance to melt into the floor, he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist. (He was sure Jared could feel the hard-on he was now sporting.) A moment later, Jensen felt himself being lifted onto the counter as the kiss continued. Jared pressed in between his legs and rocked into him making Jensen fully aware of the fact that the farmboy was just as aroused by this situation as he was.

Their tongues tangled with each other, seeking out the furthest corners and learning each other’s tastes. Jared tasted of spearmint (obviously, he’d found the small herb garden on the side of the house) and Jensen tasted of coffee and cream. After a while, they had to break away for a breath.

Jensen didn’t realize it, but his fingers were clenched tightly around the edge of the counter, knuckles white from how hard he was holding on. It took him a minute to gather his wits and open his eyes. When he did, Jared was gone, the door left swinging in his wake. Jensen couldn’t help the disappointment that washed through him, but really, did he expect this to go somewhere?

He slipped off the counter and turned to pump some cold water into the sink. Cupping his hands, he washed his face, hoping the frigid temperature of the water would bring him back down to Earth. It didn’t.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

It was too much. Jared had to run. Jensen wasn’t just some random conquest; the man meant something to him. Maybe that was part of the reason he said nothing more than ‘as you wish’ to him. He didn’t want to screw things up…and now look what had happened.

“Dammit!” he yelled out in the small clearing he found himself in. A few birds scattered from the treetops, scared off by his venting. He dropped down onto a large boulder and ran his hands up over his face and through his hair before pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. He felt like a complete fool. For what, he wasn’t completely sure. Jensen _was_ the one who asked for it. Jared had simply done what was requested of him…but he should have known better.

What caused him to flee was that he _felt._ It was unexpected. He’d never _felt_ before and it scared him. His years of ‘experience’ had nothing to do with any sort of feelings. It had only to do with surviving, or on those rare occasions, just to have a good fuck. This was something both new and terrifying for Jared.

There was a snap of a twig behind him and he looked over his shoulder. _Wonderful,_ he groaned inwardly. Jensen had found him. Jared tucked his face down into his knees. If he ignored the man, maybe he’d just go away.

Jensen cautiously approached Jared and stopped when he was still several feet away.

“Jared?” The word came out quiet and cautious. “Hey,” Jensen spoke up again when Jared didn’t immediately look up. “Talk to me, please. We can’t pretend this didn’t happen.”

Jared finally pulled his head up and looked at Jensen. The man was like an angel under the morning sun; his eyes lit up like sparkling emeralds in the light and his sandy-colored hair glowed like a halo upon his head. His hands were in his pockets and he looked anxious. His tongue darted out, licking his lips and wetting them. Jared knew it for the nervous habit that it was.

“I’m sorry,” was what came out of Jared’s mouth. “I shouldn’t have.”

A shy grin appeared on Jensen’s face and he glanced down at the ground, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, before looking back up at the young man in front of him. He cupped a hand over the back of his neck and rubbed at it before dropping it back down to his side. “Um, if you remember, I asked for it. Nothing to apologize for.”

That caused a small smile to peek out from Jared.

They were quiet for a while before Jensen gestured at the boulder Jared was sitting on and asked, “May I?”

The younger man nodded and moved over a little to make some room.

Jensen jumped up and took a seat next to Jared. “So you can talk, huh? I was starting to think all you knew how to say was ‘As you wish’,” he said with a slight chuckle, trying to break the ice.

“Yeah, well, I’m full of surprises,” Jared deadpanned, still a bit unsure about where this was going…where he wanted it to go. For now, he’d keep his wall up.

Jensen ignored the sour tone and said, “Well, if you’ll let me, I’m interested in finding out more about you.” He wasn’t sure where he was getting the courage to talk like this, but he kept going now that the gates were open. “I’m not the ass you probably think I am, you know.” He scooted back a little on the rock so he could see Jared better before continuing. “I’ve just been sort of…I don’t know, preoccupied? I’ve got some issues-”

Jared cut him off before he could finish. “Daddy issues. Yeah, I know.”

The older man’s jaw snapped shut at the words and he stared at the younger man.

“I’m not blind, Jensen. Every day I see you trying to hide it from him. Why?” Jared tilted his head and studied Jensen from under his bangs as he waited for an answer.

Jensen wasn’t sure what surprised him more, the fact that he was having an actual conversation with Jared, a person who never said more than three particular words to him, or the fact that the teen saw right through him. “Um…” He tugged at the neck of his shirt and let his eyes drift up to the passing fair-weather clouds. “It’s complicated?” It came out as more of a question because he wasn’t really sure how to explain the relationship he had with his father. “He can’t know. Things are-” Jensen let out a deep breath and his shoulders slumped a little, “they’re just…”

“Complicated,” Jared finished for him. “It’s alright. I won’t say anything.” Jared leapt down from his perch on the rock. “It won’t happen again.” He started to move away in the direction of the house, but stopped when he heard a quiet whisper.

“But I want it to.”

Jared turned and watched Jensen slide down from his seat. He slowly shook his head. “No, you don’t. Trust me. You don’t _know_ me.”

“Jared, I know enough. You’ve done nothing but treat my dad and me good since you’ve been here. You’re awesome with Ginny and the horses…and even those two annoying dogs of ours.” He smiled, trying to reassure Jared. “I…,” he swallowed the lump in his throat that suddenly appeared when Jared had first started to leave, “I think I might even have feel-”

“Stop, Jensen.” Jared pleaded quietly and stepped back a pace or two as the man started towards him. He didn’t know if he could do this, let himself go where Jensen was seemingly going with this. It was the very thing he’d dreamed of since losing his mom, his home, the only love he ever knew in his life. “I…I can’t go there.” Jensen was too perfect for him. The man came from a good background, had a future. He deserved more than what Jared could ever be for him. He made to turn away again.

“Dammit, Jared.” Jensen caught the farmboy’s arm and spun him around. “It’s not like I’m asking for ‘happily ever after’. I just,” he reached up, lips parting slightly, and trailed a finger lightly along Jared’s jawline and then down the front of his shirt, “I just… _need._ ” He lowered his hand and stared at the teen for a moment, taking in the lust-blown eyes that were betraying Jared’s words; the hazel was a thin ring around dark, obsidian pupils. Then abruptly Jensen clenched his jaw and turned, taking a step in the other direction. He couldn’t force this on the younger man. “Shit, Jared, I’m sorry. I’ll just-”

Suddenly, Jensen felt a heavy weight crash into him. He was spun around and shoved up against the boulder. Jared’s tongue was practically down his throat the instant he opened his mouth to gasp for the air that was knocked out of him. A groan escaped from between his lips and he was instantly hard in his pants as Jared rolled up against him, clearly needing this as much as he did.

Jensen fisted one hand into Jared’s shirt and the other into his overly long, brunette locks, taking everything the younger man was willing to give…and it was so much more than he expected from the seventeen year old. His brain felt like it stopped functioning when his waistband was tugged back and Jared’s huge hand reached down and wrapped around his now rigid length. Another moan peeled out of his throat as the man began to stroke and then swept a thumb over the head of his cock, smearing the drop of precum that had made its way out.

Finally, Jared pulled back from ravaging Jensen’s mouth, but he didn’t let up on his ministrations below Jensen’s beltline. A sexually charged smirk spread across his face when he asked, “When you say ‘need’, do you mean, you know?” He stared deeply into Jensen’s darkened eyes and gave a slight squeeze to the man’s cock.

Jensen had been left breathless after the kiss and all he could do was nod a ‘yes’ as he rocked up into the younger man’s hand as it continued to stroke him. He dropped his head back onto the warm rock behind him and inhaled deeply, trying to gain some semblance of control. It wasn’t working out too well.

Jared released his hold on Jensen’s hot flesh and, instead, worked on getting the man naked. He untied the lace of his shirt and drew it up and over Jensen’s head and arms and then unlaced his pants and let the material drop to the ground. And Jared found that he was right; the freckles went well beyond the bridge of the man’s nose and cheeks. They dotted lightly over his shoulders and across the top of his chest…and Jared wanted to kiss each and every one of them.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he said and smiled as the man in front of him flushed and started to cover himself, but Jared growled, his hand reaching out instantly to stop the movement. “No, don’t. Don’t ever cover yourself from me. I want to see…to touch.” He leaned in and began trailing hot kisses along Jensen’s neck and over his shoulders as he held onto Jensen’s hips with both hands, and then he worked his way down the man’s chest, sucking on each nipple until they hardened into tiny peaks under his lips. Slowly, he made his way down to the fine dusting of hair below Jensen’s belly button and breathed in deeply as he followed it down, dropping to his knees as he did so.

“If you let me do this, you’re mine. No turnin’ back,” he said as he began to nuzzle into the older man’s groin, taking in the scent that was all Jensen. A moment later, he looked up at Jensen, waiting for the man’s reaction. Crystalline green eyes gazed down at him.

“Yes.” Jensen couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Months…for months he’d wanted this; he just didn’t know how to approach Jared. He still didn’t know how he got from point A to point B; it happened so quickly. “Yours, Jared.”

A moment later, Jensen just about dropped when the wet heat of Jared’s mouth enveloped his aching shaft and the man began to suck. Jensen nearly came as soon as it happened, but Jared was quick to wrap the fingers of one hand around the base of his cock, squeezing, holding him off. It was almost painful, but damn, it felt good. Jensen shivered and concentrated on staying upright. It was working until he felt something move and circle around his most intimate of places and then he shuddered when one of Jared’s spit-slicked fingers breached the tight furl of muscle and began stretching him.

“Holy fuck!” Jensen gasped and instinctively went to pull away, but Jared held him in place as he continued to suck and swirl his tongue over his cock and twist his finger in and out of Jensen’s ass, stretching around his rim. Before long, Jensen found himself rocking down into the sensation, moaning with the motion. As he did so, another digit was pushed up into him and that’s when he came, pouring his thick release down Jared’s throat. “Jared!” he cried out. It was the hottest damn thing he’d ever done. He felt so…liberated.

Jensen looked down at Jared as the man licked him clean and he shuddered at how sensitive he now was. “Jared… Shit.” He was still panting because the younger man hadn’t let up on stretching him open and scissoring his fingers in and out of him. Suddenly, Jared hit something up inside and Jensen’s whole body dipped, almost landing him on the ground if Jared hadn’t had a hold on him.

Jared could see Jensen wasn’t going to be able to take any more of this standing up. He pulled his fingers free and helped ease the man down to the grass before he fell. “There you go, Jen. I got you. Just relax.” As he spoke, he stripped out of his own clothes and slid up between Jensen’s legs. He licked his way back into Jensen’s mouth as he slipped two fingers back into the man. Jared swallowed Jensen’s groan when he tucked a third in.

The younger man took his time making sure Jensen was well-prepared and finally he pulled away from Jensen and looked down at him; he glanced down at his fingers slip-sliding in and out of Jensen’s tight ring of muscle and smiled before catching the man’s eye again.

“Do you know how hot you are right now, just waiting for me to take you?”

Jensen answered with a guttural moan and pushed down onto Jared’s thrusting fingers.

“Before we do this, I have a question for you. And be honest with me, Jensen, please…even though I know it’s probably not the best time to be asking you this. But are you really sure about this?” If he felt that there was the slightest hesitation, Jared would shut this down, no matter how much the man begged.

At that moment, Jared’s fingers happened to sweep over Jensen’s prostate again and he let out a low keen from his throat. He forced himself to open his eyes and look up at Jared; his fingers were digging into the grass on either side of him. “Yes,” he said as he writhed under the teen’s touch; the word came out as more of a moan. “I’m…sure.”

Jared continued to stretch the man open as he absorbed Jensen’s answer. Part of him was hoping for that hesitation, an easy way out. He could pack his things and be gone within the hour. But between Jensen’s answer and his earlier words and actions, Jared knew he was lost to the man. Jared would go all-or-nothing. Then another question came to mind. He was fairly certain he already knew the answer, but he needed to know before they went any further with this. “Um, Jen, have you ever had sex-?”

Jensen’s eyes shot open and his body stopped moving for a moment. “Jared, seriously? I’m twenty-one. What do you think?”

Jared grinned. “If you’d let me finish... What I was gonna ask was, have you ever had sex with a man? Have you ever bottomed before?”

Jensen furrowed his brow. After a moment he realized what Jared was asking and he sighed. Might as well be truthful about it. Something told him Jared already knew. “No. Never.” In reality, he’d only had sex twice, both times with girls. The first time was, you know, _the first time_. And when it didn’t feel right, he tried again later on with someone else and it still didn’t feel right. That was when he started to come to terms with his preference toward the male physique. And really, there weren’t too many gay men flashing their rainbows around Florin. It just didn’t happen.

Jared slowed the slip-slide of his fingers and looked Jensen directly in the eye. He knew he kept asking, but he didn’t want there to be any regrets. “And you’re sure you want this, with me? ‘Cause if so, it’s not going to feel too great at first. Actually, it’s gonna hurt like bitch, no matter how much prep I give you.” And with a twist, he pulled his fingers out of Jensen’s now slick hole.

A flash of something (fear?) passed over Jensen’s eyes and his chewed on his lower lip as he was wont to do when he was nervous or thinking…or both. “Yes, I’m sure. I already told you, ‘Yours’.”

“Okay, then.” Jared spit into his hand and stroked it over his hardened flesh. He shimmied forward on his knees in between Jensen’s legs and situated himself the best he could. “I’ll take it slow, try not to hurt you too much.”

Jensen looked down at Jared and tried to steady his breathing when he saw the size of Jared’s manhood which was fully hard and slicked up in Jared’s fist. The guy might only be seventeen, but he was hung like a fucking horse. He barely stifled another moan as he thought about _that_ sliding up into his ass. He was stirred from the thought when he felt the blunt head of _it_ pushing at his entrance and Jared telling him to relax.

Jensen tried; he truly did, but he yelled out as his muscles automatically clamped down on the foreign intrusion. “Holy, mother fucking, all that is…,” he babbled, but slowly settled when he felt Jared’s hand on his stomach, tracing calming circles onto it.

After a moment, Jensen relaxed and his body opened up to Jared’s massive cock. Before he knew it, the man was fully seated, balls deep, in him.

“You okay?” Jared asked, holding back and not moving. God, he wanted nothing more to do than move. Jared had had nothing but his hand to keep him company since arriving at the Ackles’ home. Relationship aside, he needed this just as much as Jensen seemed to.

It was a sense of fullness Jensen had never felt before and he needed Jared to move. He shifted his hips to test things out and then he nodded. “Yeah, need you to move…please.” _Did that come out as a whimper?_

Jared pulled back and thrust forward gently causing a groan to escape from Jensen. With every pull, he added a little more thrust and before long, he fell into a steady rhythm, passing over Jensen’s prostate every now and then. “God, you’re so fucking tight. I’m not gonna last long.” All he got was a low growl from the man below him. He noticed Jensen was hard once more and took his length in hand, pumping it in pace with his thrusts. “You gonna come for me again, Jen? I wanna see you come apart under me.”

Jensen was a squirming mass of sensation. Yeah, Jared was right when he said it wasn’t going to be a picnic, but now? He’d never thought something could feel like this. And then Jared passed over that _spot_ and Jensen saw stars. He couldn’t believe he’d gotten so hard again in such a short period of time…and damn, if he wasn’t about to come any second.

“Jared… Fuck! I’m gonna…”

Jared felt Jensen’s muscles twitching around his cock and knew the man was losing it. He groaned and picked up his pace, sliding in and out of the tight, slick heat of his lover. “Come for me, Jen.”

And as if on command, Jensen came…fucking hard. He yelled Jared’s name so loud that, afterward, when he thought back on it, he hoped no one heard, even if they were out in the middle of the woods.

Jensen’s muscles tightened down around Jared as his thrusts became shorter and more irregular. He pushed in deeply and groaned loudly as he came, pumping his hot seed into Jensen’s slick channel. “Guh…” was about all he could manage saying as he gave a few more shallow thrusts, emptying everything he had into the man before pulling out with a soft moan and dropping down to the warm grass beside Jensen. After he caught his breath, Jared rolled over and tucked his arm around the older man. “Good?”

“Mmmmm...” Jensen shifted onto his side and pulled Jared’s arm around him. The heat of the man’s naked skin felt nice against his own. “Lie with me for a while?”

“As you wish,” Jared replied before nuzzling into the man.

And that was how their story began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, what do you think? Like? Don't like? Please leave comments. They are much appreciated :)
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	2. Chapter 2

Summer passed and the leaves on the trees changed from verdant greens to shades of fiery reds, burnt oranges, and golden yellows. Jensen’s ‘deadline’ came and went with the close of the season, but he had other things occupying his thoughts and he didn’t notice. Whenever his father wasn’t around, he and Jared were inseparable. Jensen quickly lost count of how many times they made love in their special place in the woods, their feelings for one another growing by the day.

The elder Ackles was becoming more than a little impatient with Jensen as the weeks passed and nothing else was mentioned about Danneel and a potential proposal. The sooner his son planted roots with a wife and a few little ones underfoot, the sooner Alan could start ticking off the days on the calendar and begin his countdown to retirement.

“Dad, no, alright!” Jensen was pacing the living room, booted feet scuffing the hardwood floor at every turn; a double shadow of his silhouette flickered on the walls behind him from the two lanterns that were lighting the room. He pushed his fingers up into his hair and tugged at its roots in frustration. Swinging around, he looked at his dad. “I don’t know how to say it, but it’s just not going to work between me and Dani. I can’t force something if there’s nothing there in the first place. I can’t marry someone I don’t love. You of all people should back me up on this. You _loved_ Mom.”

Alan had brought up Danneel again for the umpteenth time this week and Jensen didn’t want to hear about it anymore. How could he explain things to his father in a way the man would understand? God, he hated losing his temper like this. He had to get out for a while, cool off. Jensen stormed over to the door and wrenched it open.

“Jensen…,” his father pleaded as he began to stand up from the couch.

“Not now, Dad. I just need to go, I don’t know…think or something.” He continued out the door, slamming it behind him in his haste.

His father had waited until Jared had retired for the night which meant it was late, too late for this shit. Jensen hadn’t had a very good day at work and he had just wanted to go to bed. He walked until he reached the middle of the neighboring field, arms wrapped tightly around himself, shivering, but it wasn’t because he was cold. He stared up at the twinkling heavens above and breathed a heavy sigh. There was no way Jensen could hide his relationship with Jared from his father forever; he knew that. But he wasn’t ready to cross that bridge…not yet.

Long arms suddenly enveloped him, causing Jensen to jump, and then he leaned back into his lover’s warmth.

“Rough night?” Jared asked as he rested his chin on Jensen’s shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

Jared pressed a tender kiss to the crook of Jensen’s neck, breathing in the familiar scent of his lover as he did. “Mmmm. I ever tell you how good you smell?” he asked as he squeezed Jensen tighter to him and gazed up at the sky above as well; it was a beautiful and clear night. They both watched as a star shot across the sky and the younger man smiled. “Make a wish, Jen.”

Jensen was quiet for a few moments, then Jared asked, “You gonna tell me what you wished for?” He released Jensen and spun him around so he could look at him. The man’s eyes sparkled under the moonlight as he gazed at him.

“Now if I did that, it wouldn’t come true,” Jensen whispered with a slow smile. “But I’m sure you can guess.” He leaned forward and gave Jared a gentle peck on the lips. As he went to step back, Jared reached around and drew him back in for a deeper kiss, nipping at his lower lip and licking his way into the older man’s mouth. Jensen slipped his hands under the farmboy’s shirt and caressed the hard lines of his back, trailing the soft pads of his fingers over the knobs of Jared’s spine. Jensen groaned with want, but he forced himself to pull away, breaking the kiss. He had so much on his mind.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Jared reached up and cupped the side of Jensen’s face, thumb rubbing through the five o’clock shadow along his cheek.

“My dad’s been pushing again lately, you know, about Dani.”

Jared’s brows knitted together and he nodded knowingly. He and Jensen had talked about this and he knew all about the elder Ackles’ wishes. “And?”

“I gotta tell him, but I just don’t want to lose all that I have left of my family. I’m not worried about the business; I never really wanted it in the first place. It’s just…” He trailed off and dropped his face into Jared’s chest. The man’s arms tightened around him and his hands rubbed soothing circles into his back, trying to calm him.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, I hope so.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

There was a surge in business late that fall; it seemed as if everyone was looking to make a few last minute purchases and shipments before the cold months set in. Jensen and his father left the house at sunrise and didn’t return home until well after sunset on most nights for several weeks straight. The tension mounted around the two men as the unspoken subject of Jensen settling down loomed in the air. Jensen caught Alan watching him from time to time and he would just shake his head, push his reading glasses up on his nose, and continue to leaf through his unending stack of paperwork.

Jensen thought long and hard about it and finally made his decision. After the first of the new year, he was going to sit down with his father and have the discussion that needed to be had. That way, he had time to close the books for the year and if his dad never wanted to see him again, at least he would have been able to do that much for him. It was a tedious job, one that Jensen found himself to be much better at than his father.

Each night when they arrived home, Jensen would look up into the window of the barn and see the candlelight by which Jared stayed up to read. He couldn’t see the man, but he knew he was there. With his father by his side, Jensen could do nothing more than get their two horses settled in for the night and head into the house for bed, only to start the tiresome routine all over again the next morning.

When the weekend finally arrived, Jensen woke up late on Saturday morning, worn down from the long week. He dressed and went down to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. His father was sitting at the table going through his ledger.

“Mornin’, son. Off riding again?”

“I think so. Might as well take advantage of the weather before it turns.” He leaned back against the counter and sipped his coffee, letting it warm his insides.

“I agree.” His father sat back in his chair and glanced at the window and then back to his son. “Speaking of the weather, that farmboy can’t stay up in that loft much longer. I can’t have him catching his death from the cold out there. Your room’s big enough and you two seem to get along well enough. Think you can share it until the spring?”

Jensen practically choked on his coffee at his father’s suggestion. His room was the entire second floor of the house; there was plenty of space for Jared to bunk in there with him. He cleared his throat before replying. “Yeah, that’s fine. I can get something set up for him. Just let me know when.”

“I’ll let you two figure that out.” Alan closed the ledger book and dropped his pencil down beside it. He took his glasses off and set them on top of the book. “Business has been good this year. A lot of that is because of you, Jen. You’re proving yourself to be a very able businessman.”

“I do my best.” Jensen smiled, but it didn’t quite make it to his eyes. And then he lifted his mug to his lips and swallowed the last of his coffee before turning to the sink to clean it out. “Well, I’m gonna head out,” he said as he finished up. “I’ll be back later this afternoon.” And then he was off and out the door, knowing Jared would be waiting for him; they had made plans to meet at the clearing this morning and his body was already tingling in anticipation of the younger man’s touches.

Jared was waiting with Ginny standing at his side when Jensen came out of the house. The horse was saddled up and waiting for her master. “Took you long enough,” he said with a hint of a smile. “I thought you were gonna stand me up.”

“Nah, just tired is all. Slept late.” They didn’t show any visible affection while still within sight of the house. Alan had a very clear view of the yard from the kitchen window. Jensen lifted himself up onto Ginny. “I’ll meet you in the clearing.”

“You can count on it.”

And then Jensen set Ginny off into a gallop and headed towards the trees.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Today they rode several miles out to the river. Hours passed in what felt like only minutes as they made love to one another and then lay in the sun afterward, their hunger for each other satiated for the time being.

Jensen rolled over and propped his head up on a hand, elbow bent, so he could look down at Jared. “My dad wants you to move into the house now that it’s getting cooler.” He traced a circle around the man’s nipple and watched it come to a peak.

“Yeah?” Jared opened his eyes and looked up at him.

“You’re gonna to be sleeping in my room.” Jensen grinned when he saw Jared’s surprised expression. “Somehow we’re gonna have to behave though.”

“I can be quiet, but I’m not sure about you.” Jared winked at Jensen before rolling over and pushing his lover back down to the ground, securing his wrists over his head with one strong hand, the rest of his body blanketing the man. Jared leaned down and nipped at Jensen’s collarbone as he squirmed beneath him, laughing.

Jensen thrust up against Jared, trying to get out from under him, but the younger man had proven to be the stronger of the two of them time and again and he didn’t get far. (For some reason, that was a major turn-on for Jensen.) When he felt Jared’s grip on his wrists loosen slightly after a while – the man too lost in his attentions to Jensen’s neckline – Jensen took advantage of it and pulled a hand away, reaching down to tickle his lover; it worked every time.

They rolled again; this time Jensen remained on top. He playfully slapped the teen on the chest and pushed up to sit back. He knew what Jared said was true; there was no way he could keep quiet with the things Jared did to him. “You’re just going to have to keep your big hands off me then,” he said with a teasing grin. Jensen leaned down and gave Jared a chaste kiss before leaping up to get dressed. It was well past mid-day and they were going to have to get back to the house.

Jared laughed and started to reclaim his clothing which had been scattered around. “I can’t make any promises.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared moved in the following weekend. They didn’t want to seem too eager about it so they waited. Jensen didn’t have a spare mattress, but the pile of comforters he found were still much more comfortable than what Jared was used to out in the barn. A bed of hay didn’t seem all that appealing to him.

They were good for the first few days, but on the fourth morning, Jared awoke to Jensen nestled into his side. He kissed the top of the man’s head before gently shaking him awake. “Mornin’, sunshine. Get lost?”

Jensen’s eyes popped open and he blinked, trying to clear them. He barely remembered climbing out of bed last night and joining the younger man in the pile of blankets.

They both jumped when they heard the door at the bottom of the stairs open.

“Jensen,” Alan called up the stairs and Jensen heard the third step groan under his father’s weight as the man started his ascent. He quickly got up and headed his father off before the man could see which direction he was coming from.

“Hey, Dad. What’s up?” He rucked up his t-shirt and scratched at his chest before reaching up to smooth down his hair.

“I’ve been waiting for you. It’s late. We need to get a move on.” Alan glanced over and saw Jared sitting up across the room. “Mornin’, Jared.”

“Mornin’, sir,” Jared replied as he brushed his long bangs out of his face with his fingers.

“How are things working out up here?”

“Good,” both younger men replied in unison. Somehow the word came out a little guiltily, but Alan didn’t seem to notice.

“That’s good.” The elder Ackles looked between the two of them. When he noticed Jensen wasn’t moving, he prodded the man. “Get moving, Jen. I want to be on the road in a half hour’s time.” He turned and headed back down the stairs before Jensen could respond.

Jensen rummaged through his drawers and pulled out fresh clothing to wear for the day. Jared hadn’t moved from where he was. He just watched his lover rush around the room getting ready. He eyed the shirt Jensen had selected and commented on it as he watched the man button it up.

“The green brings out your eyes. You should wear that shirt more often.”

Jensen glanced down at his shirt and lifted an eyebrow before looking at Jared. He never really gave his clothing much thought. “I thought you preferred me in nothing.”

“Well, that’s true,” Jared smirked, “but if you gotta wear something…”

Jensen finished getting dressed and crossed the room to where Jared was still nested in his blankets. “Don’t you have to get the horses ready or something?”

“Shit!” Jared jumped up and found his shirt. He turned to run down the stairs, but at the last minute he stopped and pressed a kiss to Jensen’s lips. “There’ll be more of that tonight…and then some.” His eyes caught in a ray of light before he spun and flew down the stairs.

Jensen laughed. Now he wasn’t so sure he was going to be able to get any work done today, not with that thought in mind.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Sex didn’t become a nightly occurrence, but it was damn near close. With the weather turning, Jensen and Jared didn’t make it out to the woods or the river much anymore. They tried to keep things quiet in the upstairs bedroom which meant the younger man took things way too slowly when they made love…at least in Jensen’s opinion. More than once, Jensen had to catch himself when he let out an almost too loud lustful moan.

Most of the time, Jared saw it coming and would swallow his lover’s noises with a deep kiss, but he didn’t catch them all.

Jensen didn’t seem to notice it, but Jared did… Alan was starting to watch them.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

A light snow had fallen over the region during the night and Jared was out in the garden trying to rescue what he could of the late season vegetables that were growing there. He was about halfway through his task when he saw Jensen approach and lean up against the wooden fence. Jared didn’t acknowledge the man’s presence with anything more than a quick, “Morning, Jen.” His concern over Alan’s watchful eye was causing him to back off in his affections towards the younger Ackles. He knew if they got caught, something bad was going to happen.

“Something up?” Jensen inquired after a few minutes of silence. His breath puffed out in front of him as he spoke. It was still early and the sun hadn’t had time to warm things up yet.

“It’s your dad, Jen. He’s been watching us. I think we need to back it off a little bit.”

Jensen glanced over his shoulder at the house where he knew his father was eating breakfast in the kitchen. _Shit._ It might have been cold out, but he suddenly felt sweat prickling up under his shirt. He looked back over to Jared where the young man had just tucked another squash into the sack hanging from his shoulder. “Yeah, okay.” He shifted and stood up from the fence. “I, um, think I’m gonna take Ginny out for a while. Don’t worry about getting her ready. I got it.”

Jensen’s mind was running a million miles a minute. He knew they’d been pushing things a bit. If his father knew…

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The lovers didn’t touch; hell they hardly looked at each other over the next month. It was difficult for both of them, but it was in their best interest. Jared changed his routine and found himself staying out well past the time Jensen went to bed, fixing things that weren’t broken, grooming the horses, or just disappearing off into the trees for long periods of time.

Both men were getting moody, being so close to each other but not being able to act upon their desires. Jared found that he had less patience than Jensen as the days passed. The last straw was the evening a horse-drawn carriage pulled up to the house and a beautiful young woman stepped out onto the cobblestone walk leading to the front door. From Jensen’s previous description of her, he knew it was Danneel.

Jared watched as the front door opened and Jensen came down the walk to greet the woman with a hug. A moment later, an older man stepped out of the carriage and came up behind her. Jared assumed it must be her father. He didn’t know what was going on, nor did he intend to stay and watch. Instead, he turned and went to the barn. He saddled up Big Bear (the animal was anything but big, but apparently Jensen had named the old horse years ago when the man himself was little) and took off down the road into the night. He’d come back later after the unexpected company was gone.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen was awoken some time in the middle of the night to a heavy weight sinking down onto him. Jared. He blinked his eyes open in the darkness and one of the first things he noticed was the smell of liquor on the younger man’s breath.

“Jared?” He pressed his hands into the farmboy’s chest and tried to push him up and off.

There was no moving him; Jared was dead weight and didn’t budge. He began to press sloppy kisses into Jensen’s neck; his words came out slurred when he spoke. “How’d your date go? Was she good?” He sucked on the pale skin over Jensen’s collarbone, marking it, something neither ever did to the other for fear that Alan would see it.

Jensen took a deep breath and pushed with everything he had. He pushed until Jared finally rolled off of him and sank down into the bed beside him. “My god, what the hell? How much have you had to drink?” Jensen sat up in the bed, looking down at his severely inebriated lover.

“I know, Jen. I’m not good enough.” The words were almost a sob. Jared hauled himself up so he could sit against the headboard and looked at Jensen. “Look at me. How can I compare to Danneel?” He gestured to himself with both hands and then let them flop heavily down into his lap. “Why would you want me when you could have her? She’s beautiful; she comes from money; your father likes her.” He rolled awkwardly from the bed, groaning. His arms flailed out for balance until he found his center of gravity, and Jared began to pace the room, albeit a little unsteadily.

Shit. Jensen understood immediately what had Jared so upset. The younger man had very clearly misinterpreted the previous evening’s events. Danneel had only accompanied her father to their house last night because her mother was out of town and her dad wanted to go over some details on a merger he was considering. The man occasionally sought business advice from Jensen’s father. This potential merger was especially big and could make or break his company.

Jensen quickly got up and seized one of Jared’s arms as he caught up to him. The farmboy tried to twist out of Jensen’s grip, but couldn’t get himself coordinated enough to do so. “Jared, stop it!” he hissed as loudly as he dared; his grasp on the teen’s arm tightened, causing Jared to wince slightly.

“Lemme go!” Jared continued to try to pull away from the hold Jensen had on him, but he only succeeded in half stumbling to the floor. The only reason he was still somewhat on his feet was because of the older man’s grip. “You’ll never be able to be happy with me.”

“Dammit,” Jensen grunted as he tried to hold the younger man up so he could talk to him – Jared’s heavy weight was pulling him a bit off-kilter. “You should know by now that I…” He trailed off. He had never said those words to Jared, but now that they were on the tip of his tongue, he knew they should have been said long ago. “I love you. And if you haven’t figured that out by now…” Jensen’s fingers tightened on Jared’s arm until the farmboy looked at him. “But don’t you, not for one damn minute, think that you’re not good enough for me. That’s my decision, and mine alone. And really? Have you forgotten something? I’m gay; I like guys. Does Danneel look like a guy to you? ‘Cause I don’t think so.”

Jared’s expression softened when Jensen’s words wound their way through his alcohol-induced stupor. “You love me?” With everything Jensen had been saying to him for the last few minutes, that phrase was the only thing that truly penetrated the thick fog in his head. It was the first time he’d heard those words spoken to him since his mother had died six long years ago; it brought tears to his eyes.

“Is that really a question you need to ask? Of course I do.” Jensen’s grip on the younger man relaxed and he smiled reassuringly. Then he noticed the tears pricking at Jared’s eyes. “Hey, don’t cry.” He wiped his thumbs over the teen’s cheeks, clearing away the moisture. “I just want you to know, you’re it for me, Jared. I know we’re sort of stuck in limbo at the moment, but I’m working on it.”  He started to lead Jared over to the pile of blankets in the corner of the room. “This is too deep of a discussion to be had while you’re,” he looked over the younger man, taking in the unfocused gaze, “a little less than sober.” He shook his head and gave Jared a quick kiss before helping him down into his bed. “Sleep it off. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

The only answer he got was a soft snore coming from Jared’s pursed lips.

Jensen pulled a thick quilt up over the man and brushed his unruly bangs out of his face. Jared looked so young and innocent when he slept; Jensen could only wonder what happened in Jared’s past that made him doubt himself so much, why he felt he couldn’t be loved.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared was oblivious to the faint rays of morning sunlight coming through the curtains the next morning. _Kid’s gonna have one serious hangover when he gets_ up, Jensen mused as he slipped into a pair of pants. As he dressed, he started to give some more thought about what went down in the middle of the night and pressed his lips into a tight line.

Jared had done a damn fine job at hiding his misgivings about their relationship since they’d been together. Now that he knew that they were there, Jensen was going to have to find a way to get through to the farmboy. This wasn’t just some ‘fly by night’ relationship; Jensen was in it for the long haul.

Jensen took a look in the mirror and gave his hair a quick run through with his comb before heading downstairs. His father was already up; he’d heard the man moving around down there earlier. And Jared – Jensen looked over to the young man who was buried under his blankets – well, he would let the teen sleep for as long as he needed.

When Jensen got downstairs, he was surprised to see his father getting ready to head out. “Going somewhere?” he asked as he went straight to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“Don’t you remember? I’m leaving for the trade conference in Guilder today. The boat leaves this afternoon.”

“Shit.” Jensen lowered his mug and frowned, running dates by in his head. “I forgot that was coming up.” He didn’t like his father going to Guilder. Relations between Florin and its neighboring country had been anything, if not tense, over the past few years. It wasn’t the safest place for the elder Ackles to be spending time in.

“Watch your language, son.” Alan said lightly as he picked his bag up from the floor and set it on the table. He began to rifle through its contents to make sure he had everything he needed for his trip. “I’m expecting to be back Thursday night. I’m trusting you to take care of things at the office until then. You think you can handle that?”

“Don’t worry about me. Just worry about yourself. You know I don’t like you going there, even if it is just for a couple of days.”

“I’ll be fine, Jensen. Plus I’m going with Jeff and Jim. Who would want to mess with those two grumpy bastards?” Alan smiled.

Jensen grinned back. Jeff Morgan and Jim Beaver had been friends of the family for as long as he could remember. When he was a kid, Jensen would call them Uncle Jeff and Uncle Jim. They were good men, and Jeff in particular could kick some ass. “Yeah, okay.” He placed his mug in the sink. “I’ll get Gemini saddled up for you.”

“Where’s Jared?” the elder Ackles inquired, glancing over to the stairs and back at his son.

“Long night? He’s sleeping things off. Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk with him later about it. Anyway, it’s Saturday. You usually let him have the day off.” Jensen went to grab his coat from the hook by the door and slipped his boots on. “Just give me a few minutes and you should be good to go.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

It was late morning by the time Jared made his way downstairs. He shuffled silently into the kitchen under Jensen’s watchful eye and threw some cold water on his face before having a glass of the same to wash down the bitter aftertaste of whatever it was he had had too much to drink of last night. When he was done, he leaned over the counter, resting on his elbows and covered his face with his hands. “Man, I feel like I got run over by a horse.” He groaned. “Make that ten horses. You got anything that can make this headache go away?”

“Serves you right,” Jensen said somewhat reproachfully. “Really, Jared? Drinking?” But he got up to go find something to help the young man get rid of his headache. He came back into the room a minute later, refilled his lover’s glass, and then added something Jared couldn’t see to the liquid. Jensen handed the glass to the teen when he was done. “That should help. It’s a little something from the doc that I use when I’m not feeling too hot.”

“Thanks.” Jared drank down the cool liquid in several large gulps. He looked up when he was done and saw Jensen still standing there, not looking pleased at all, his arms crossed across his chest.

“So?” Jensen asked, waiting for Jared’s explanation.

“Sorry?” Jared lifted an eyebrow, hoping to get away with just the simple apology, but he knew Jensen better than that. The man would be looking for an explanation; he would want to know why.

“That’s not gonna cut it, Jared.” Jensen walked around the center island of the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools. “Do you even remember what you said to me last night, or were you too drunk off your damn gourd?” The younger man was quiet. Jensen could see him trying to put the events from the middle of the night into some kind of order. “Let me help you out. I seem to recall you saying you aren’t good enough for me. Oh, and that I should just go and marry Dani because that’s what my father wants.”

Jared refused to look at Jensen. Dammit. He knew he shouldn’t have drunk so much of that cheap ale. It loosened his tongue and obviously he’d spilled all of his doubts to his lover the night before. He couldn’t even remember how he’d gotten home. Apparently, Big Bear knew his way back…good thing, too, or who knows where he would’ve ended up?

“Jared, look at me.”

From where he was staring down at the counter, Jared peeked up through his long bangs. He could see a hint of sadness under the concern in Jensen’s piercing green eyes. Finally, he managed to actually look up at the man.

“Do you remember what I said to you last night?”

Yeah, that was the _one_ thing Jared did remember. He nodded slowly.

“What?”

“That you…love me.” It was said so quietly, Jensen practically had to strain to hear the last two words.

Reaching across the counter, Jensen cupped Jared’s hands into his own, running his thumbs over the backs of the teen’s knuckles. “That’s right, Jared. I love you. Look, I know you have ‘things’ in your past, things that you’re not comfortable talking about yet, but please don’t doubt my feelings for you. As I said before, I’m yours. I’ve known that for a long time now.”

Jared wasn’t sure why he had ever doubted Jensen in the first place. Really, he’d known since he’d first made love to the man – hell, since that first kiss – that what they had between them was special. He’d _known_ that Jensen loved him. But it did feel good to actually hear those words come from those perfect lips.

Jared willed himself to have a little faith in the man sitting across from him; he even managed to smile. “You know what, Jen?”

Jensen frowned, not sure what was going to come out of Jared’s mouth. (The younger man had said some curious things at some really strange times, and it usually started off with, ‘You know what, Jen?’.) His thumbs stopped their smooth caresses and he wet his lips, sucking his bottom lip in as he did. “Yeah, Jared?”

“I think I just might love you, too.” Jared yanked his hands out from Jensen’s grasp and rounded the counter. “Actually, I know it.” He framed his lover’s face with his hands, smile growing wider, and then he pulled Jensen in for a deep, passionate kiss, tongue pushing in and sliding over teeth, licking and sucking. When they separated, Jared kissed the tip of the man’s nose and said it again. “I love you.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The days passed by all too quickly. The rest of Saturday and Sunday were spent mostly lazing away with the exception of a long walk on Sunday. They left the horses behind at the house and meandered for hours through the dappled sunlight filtering through the leafy canopies of the trees. Eventually, they found themselves down by the river. It was too cold to strip out of their clothing, but they managed to squeeze in a few sweet kisses and heated touches as they sat by the swift moving water.

The weekend ended too soon and, before he knew it, Jensen found himself bogged down at the office. On Tuesday, one of their more testy customers came storming through the door, huffing and puffing about a shipment that didn’t arrive. It took most of the afternoon to figure out what was going on. Come to find out, the order got held up at the border and wouldn’t arrive until the next day. The man stormed out the door cursing, saying he was going to let Alan hear about how badly Jensen was running the place in his absence. “Asshole,” Jensen mumbled under his breath when the guy finally left.

Wednesday went by without any problems. (He made sure the jerk’s shipment made it to him early; he didn’t need the guy coming back and throwing another tantrum.) But still, Jensen got home late, finding Jared already asleep and a dinner plate left out for him.

On Thursday, things were quiet at the office and Jensen packed it up early. His father wasn’t due back until sometime in the evening, and after staying so late the night before, he felt he owed it to himself to go home and relax before the man returned. He wasn’t in the door two seconds before Jared grabbed him and slammed him up against the wall.

Jared pushed his tongue into Jensen’s mouth, ravishing him, fists clenching in the older man’s shirt as he held him flush with the wall. Jensen groaned as his cock instantly began to swell in his pants; he could feel the teen’s arousal pressing into his leg as he rutted up against him. After the initial attack, Jared dropped his hands from Jensen’s shirt and started undoing his lover’s pants. Within seconds they dropped down to the floor, Jensen’s shirt soon following.

The lovers didn’t even make it upstairs to the bed. Instead, they ended up on the couch, Jensen with his legs wrapped tightly around Jared’s waist as the younger man sank his heated flesh into him with a husky groan.

Jensen rolled his head back on the arm of the couch and closed his eyes as the long expanse of his neck was claimed with love bites which were soothed moments later by wet kisses. He rocked up into Jared’s thrusts and could feel the beginnings of his release building up deep down in his core; he dragged his nails up the man’s broad back and pressed his forehead into Jared’s shoulder.

“Jared…” He moaned his lover’s name over and over and his whole body shuddered as Jared’s cock thrust over his sensitive bundle of nerves. “I’m gonna-”

At that very moment, the front door opened and Alan walked in. All three men froze, Jared’s eyes locked on Jensen, Jensen’s on his father, and Alan’s on the two men locked in their passionate embrace, bag slipping to the floor from his shoulder, forgotten.

“Fuck,” Jensen groaned and dropped his head back. His dick instantly went limp and he practically shoved Jared off of him and onto the floor, both men trying to retrieve their clothing as quickly as possible.

When Jensen was mostly dressed, he got up from the couch, leaving Jared sitting on the floor somewhat out of Alan’s direct line of sight. He approached his father who had walked off into the kitchen. “Dad, let me-”

“I want him gone. I want him out of here by sundown,” Alan said coolly.

“Dad-”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“But-”

“Jensen-”

“Dad, no. We need to talk about this.” Alan went to cut him off again and Jensen wouldn’t let him this time. “I was going to wait to have a civilized conversation with you when I felt the time was right, but I guess we’re gonna have it now.”

Alan gave a defeated sigh. He sat down heavily at the table and gestured with his hand for Jensen to continue. He would give his son a chance to explain himself, but he was far from happy with what he’d just walked in on. A father never wanted to see that.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared stayed put while Jensen spoke with his father. This was so not supposed to happen like this. Alan was livid; he could see that in the split second he had glanced over his shoulder when the elder Ackles had walked into the house. They should have known better – _he_ _should have known better_ – than to have done what they were doing so close to the time the man was supposed to get home from his trip.

After a while, he quietly got up and made his way upstairs to pack; tears welled up in his eyes as he trudged slowly up the steps. There was no way Alan was going to allow him to stay after this. He and Jensen would probably never see each other again after today.


	3. Chapter 3

It took all of ten minutes for Jared to pack his meager belongings into his bag. He’d make it a quick goodbye; it would be easier on both of them. Without looking back at the memories they’d made in Jensen’s room, he went downstairs and pulled his jacket from the hook by the door. As he was starting to tug it on, Jensen came out of the kitchen; the man looked drained.

“So I guess this is goodbye?” Jared’s heart was pounding painfully in his chest and he was trying to keep from breaking down right then and there. He was hardly able to look the man in the eye.

Jensen’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “No matter what happens, Jared, we’re not over. You hear me? I _promise_. Nothing will ever come between us.”

The younger man nodded, but he knew better. This thing with Jensen had been too good to be true.

“Anyway, take your coat off. My dad wants to talk to you. Alone.”

Jared stopped, coat halfway on, halfway off. “I’m leaving. What more does he want, to yell at me, punish me or something?”

Jensen tried to ignore the word ‘punish’. He didn’t know where that had come from. _Had Jared been beaten in the past? Was that one of the things he was hiding?_ Unbidden anger flared as he thought of someone doing that to the beautiful young man standing in front of him. Jensen forced himself to push the dark emotion aside. Now wasn’t the time. One day when Jared wanted to talk about his past, he was sure he’d find out.

“To be honest, I don’t know what he wants. I barely got him to listen to what I had to say, but he knows everything now. I told him how we feel about each other; I won’t deny that he’s pissed off, but he’s not gonna hurt you or punish you. It’s not how he does things; you should know that. Actually, he didn’t say much. He heard me out and then asked to see you.”

“Shit.” Jared looked over to the kitchen doorway, anxiety overriding his normally carefree features.

“Yeah. But Jared, just be honest with him. I know, deep down, he likes you.” Jensen placed a comforting hand on Jared’s arm. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

Jared nodded solemnly and then slipped his coat off the rest of the way, handing it to Jensen to hold for him. He set his jaw and eyed the doorway to the kitchen. With a deep breath, he gathered his courage and headed into the other room.

Jensen knew his dad was a fair man, but he had nothing to compare this situation to. All he could think about was the look on his father’s face when the man had walked in the door and caught them in their most intimate act.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The minute hand on the clock over the fireplace had made almost a complete revolution around its mother-of-pearl face when Jensen was suddenly startled from his thoughts. His father was calling him. Whatever conversation the man and Jared had had, voices had not been raised; that was something at least. He had no idea how his father was staying so calm.

“Sit down, Jensen,” Alan said when the young man stepped into the kitchen.

Jensen took a seat beside Jared at the table, but he kept plenty of distance between them, not sure how his father would react if they accidentally touched. Instead, he folded his hands on the table in front of him.

He did glance over at Jared, though, but the teen didn’t look up; the young man kept his eyes cast down in front of him, hiding behind his long bangs, looking for all the world like the seventeen year old that he was. When Jensen looked at his dad, he was surprised to see how much the years seemed to be catching up with him. The younger Ackles remained silent, knowing it was up to his father to speak first.

The three men sat there in an uncomfortable and strained silence for several minutes before Alan shifted in his seat and finally spoke.

“Jensen, I can’t tell you how troubled I am that you hid this from me.” Jensen went to open his mouth to speak, but the elder Ackles held his hand up, staying him. “You’re right in the fact that I’m more than a little upset to find out that my son, my _only_ child, is…,” he shook his head as if he was still in denial about the word, “…gay. You’re damn lucky I love you so much or I’d toss your ass out. I should anyway for the lack of respect you’ve shown me…but I’m not going to.”

The man looked at Jared. “As for you, Jared…” Jared looked up then. “I didn’t invite you into my home expecting this to ever happen. I like you, but…dammit!” Then he looked between the two of them and leaned back in his chair. “What do you expect me to do here?” He crossed his arms over his chest, then uncrossed them, and then shifted some more, a sure sign that he was holding his temper in check.

“Dad-”

“Jensen, not yet. Let me finish.” He suddenly stood up from his chair and walked over to the counter so he could rest up against it. “Heavenly Father, are you certain about _this_ , son?” Alan waved his hand between Jensen and Jared.

Jensen wasn’t sure if he should answer. His father just basically told him to shut up, so he just swallowed the lump in the back of his throat and nodded, worried green eyes stark in comparison to his now pale features.

Alan cursed under his breath and wiped a hand over his face. He was too old for this. “Well, I’m not going to just _let_ this happen.”

With that declaration, Jared dropped his eyes back down to stare intently at the time-worn wooden surface of the table in front of him. Jensen closed his eyes and hung his head. _What had they done?_ They were so fucked, and not in the Biblical sense of the word either…not anymore.

“Jared, right now, you’re just some orphan off the street who has no way to support himself, let alone support my son in whatever it is you call a relationship between two men.”

Jensen cringed when he saw Jared flinch at the cutting words; that had been a low blow. It took everything he had not to come to the teen’s defense. He knew if he did, it would only make this whole situation worse. For now, it was probably best to just roll with the punches.

“Look at me, Jared,” Alan commanded and Jared looked up at him. “You’re a good man; I can clearly see that. But I want you to leave. Go out and find yourself; make something of yourself. When you can accomplish that, you can come back for my son. I won’t stand in your way then. I’ll even give you my blessing. But you need to prove yourself worthy first.” And then he looked between the two of them again. “If you won’t do this, and you still insist on being together,” he looked pointedly at Jensen, “I’ll have no choice but to put both of you out. We’ll be done, Jensen. You’ll be on your own with nothing but the clothes on your back. You know it’ll kill me to do it, but I will.”

Alan’s expression gave nothing away, no anger, no sadness, no sympathy. He let them have a minute to let his words digest. “Now, I’m going to bed. You two can decide what you’re going to do. In the morning, either one or both of you will pack up your things and leave. Goodnight.” And then he left the room with nothing further. A minute later, the sound of the bedroom door closing echoed through the house, almost as if it was sealing their fate.

Jensen and Jared just sat there, stunned. Neither knew what to say to the other; the only sound in the room was their nearly silent breathing.

“Holy shit,” was what came out of Jensen’s mouth when he finally spoke. “Jared,” he looked over at his lover, “what are we going to do?” A tear slowly rolled down his cheek.

“Jen, there’s only one answer and you know it.” Jared reached over and wiped the lone bead of moisture off Jensen’s cheek before dropping his hand to the top of the man’s thigh and giving a slight squeeze. “I won’t be gone long. Hell, entrepreneur is my middle name.” He tried to give a reassuring smile. “You’re not going to lose your only family because of me. I can be back in a year’s time, maybe two at the most. It’ll go by quick; you’ll see.”

“Oh, god.” The weight of the situation was settling in on him and Jensen found his vision starting to go grey around the edges.

“Hey, babe, breathe!” Jared got up and tugged Jensen up into his long arms, enfolding the man in a loving embrace. “It’s gonna be okay. We love each other. Nothing can change that, right? I’ll come back for you and we’ll be better off.” He slipped a hand inside the back of Jensen’s shirt and caressed the trembling man, trying to calm him down. When the sobs came, Jared tried to shush him. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered into Jensen’s ear. “You made a promise to me earlier. You said nothing would come between us and it won’t.”

Jensen couldn’t hold back; he let the tears come as Jared held him tight.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Sleep had been Jensen’s enemy, but he ultimately succumbed to it, spooned against his lover under the blankets, never wanting Jared to let go. When morning came, Jensen found Jared gone; his side of the bed was cold and empty. He had known this was going to happen, but it still hurt that the younger man had made the final decision without him.

Jared had left a short note on the nightstand. In it, he once more explained why he felt it was necessary to leave; he professed his love for Jensen and promised he’d come back as soon as he could. Something was mentioned about true love, but Jensen couldn’t finish the letter for all the tears that rained down onto the parchment. It felt as if his heart had been torn from his chest.

Suffice to say, Jensen didn’t leave his bed that day.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Time seemed to stand still in the beginning. Jensen didn’t bother going to the office with his father and the elder man didn’t push it. Alan knew his son would eventually come around. Maybe he’d even come to his senses after a time and decide to settle down with a good woman. After all, this ‘relationship’ with Jared might have just been a passing phase. A father could always hope.

By mid-January, Jensen finally dragged himself out of the house and back to work. He hoped it would help the time pass by more quickly. It proved to be somewhat true, but not by much.

February came and went. In the beginning of March, Jensen received a post from Jared telling him that he was sailing down the coast in a couple of weeks’ time. He had met a ship’s captain and the man had told him about a potential job in the south; it looked promising. Jared assured Jensen he would write as often as he could and he once again told him how much he loved him.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses began to peek their heads out as winter turned into spring and everyone around Jensen perked up with the warmer weather. Unfortunately, Jensen couldn’t share the feeling. He missed Jared too much to be anything but miserable. As everyone else’s world around him was being flooded with the colors of the new season, Jensen’s remained dull and grey.

Danneel had stopped in, both at the house and at the office, on a few occasions. She didn’t know about Jared, but she could see Jensen was down and out. Being the good friend that she was, she got Jensen off his ass and forced him to get out. They attended several plays which she knew her friend had always enjoyed in the past and now that the weather was changing for the better, she got him out on the horse more often, saying the fresh air would do him good.

Because they had known each other since they were young children, Danneel _knew_ Jensen through and through…his tells, his expressions, his mannerisms. That was probably why they were able to get along so well; she knew all of his faults and he knew hers.

One afternoon they were out on the horses and Danneel brought Big Bear to a stop under a massive oak tree. The crisp scent of the woods permeated through the air and a soft breeze blew a wisp of hair across her face which she delicately tucked behind her ear. She turned in her saddle and looked at her friend. “Jen, I know you’ve been holding something back from me.” She let the reins fall loosely in her lap so she could place her small, manicured hands on her hips. “Now deal.”

Jensen knew that look. The woman wouldn’t back down when she took that stance. “I can’t, Dani,” he said with a deep sigh. He let his eyes fall to the ground between their horses.

“Oh, no,” she held firm. “You’re not gonna get off that easily.”

Danneel’s words caused Jensen to look up at her. His best friend may look like a dainty beauty, but Jensen knew she was all tomboy underneath. She could probably even kick his ass if she tried.

When he kept mum, she prodded some more. “Is it a girl?” The young woman chewed on the corner of her lip as she waited for a response, but then she lifted an eyebrow as a thought occurred to her. She narrowed her eyes as she worked it out in her head. “Nooo… it’s not a girl, is it? Oh, my god!” A wide smile lit up her face. “Jensen! It’s a guy, isn’t it?”

Jensen was so caught off-guard with her knowing guess that he nearly fell off his horse. His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air, but nothing came out.

“Ah, ha! I knew it. Don’t be so shocked, Jen. I’ve pretty much had you figured since you were fifteen and I caught you looking at Billy Johnson in a way you _never_ looked at the girls.” She smirked and winked at Jensen’s shocked expression. “The whole us _dating_ thing, that was just for your father, wasn’t it?” She giggled. “So what’s the scoop? Is it that cute farmboy? What’s his name, Jason?”

“Jesus, Dani.” Jensen couldn’t keep up with the woman. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Really, since you seem to know everything already, why are you even bothering to ask?”

She continued to stare at him, waiting, her auburn hair gleaming vibrantly under the afternoon sun. Jensen knew if he had been straight, she would have been the _one_ ; there was no one else like her, the spitfire that she was. Whoever she ended up with was going to be a lucky guy. “Alright. Fine.” He gave in. “Yes and yes. You got me. And his name’s Jared. Are you satisfied now?”

“Are you kidding? Details, my darling friend; I want them. And why are you so mopey? You should be happy.” She watched him for a moment longer and then it dawned on her. “Damn, your dad…”

“Yeah, my dad. That’s the problem. He sorta found us, um…,” he cringed and the corner of his mouth ticked, “you know.”

“Oh.” Danneel swallowed and actually blushed for once. Jensen almost laughed.

He proceeded to tell Danneel _everything,_ all the way up to the tail end of last year when the younger man had left. It felt good to get it off his chest and talk to someone about it.

After that afternoon, the two friends spent more of their spare time together. It helped Jensen get through the endless days without Jared…and he may have even started to smile again.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Summer came and with it came the busy season. Jensen worked more than his fair share of twelve-plus hour days. He’d gotten one more letter from Jared in late July. Apparently, the job down south was a bust, but the younger man’s hopes were still high.

August, September, and October passed with no further word. November came and he received a very brief letter. Nothing new on Jared’s end. He’d worked a few small jobs here and there, but nothing that amounted to anything. Jensen wished he could write back, maybe even beg him to come home – he was just that desperate – but with Jared moving around so often, it was impossible.

Another winter came and went, spring, too, for that matter. Jensen continued to receive randomly spaced letters during the long months. Before he knew it, the two year mark had slipped by and he still missed Jared just as much as he did that first morning when he found him gone.

A lot was happening in Florin at the time. Tensions were once again growing between the small country and Guilder. Florin was building up its fleet of warships, and from what Jensen had heard, so was Guilder. The family business was dealing, more and more, with wartime goods. He didn’t like seeing that, but it _was_ money. They had to ship something; if not building supplies and fabrics, why not gunpowder, armor, and swords?

Letters from Jared told of his excitement over seeing the warships being built along the coastline. Jensen smiled at his lover’s child-like delight; he wished he was there to enjoy it with him. The younger man noted that he was currently awaiting word on a position with a company that was building some of the ships. He was sure his experience in construction ought to vouch for something.

Jensen crossed his fingers.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Another year crept by. Jensen was losing hope that he’d ever see Jared again. He had a handful of letters, but nothing more. His young love had gotten the job building ships and Jensen could hear the elation in Jared’s written words.

 

> Jen,
> 
> You should see the ships we’re building. They’re beautiful. It’s too bad we’re going to war with them though. Maybe one day I’ll build one for just the two of us to sail away on. No worries, just you and me. Wouldn’t that be an experience!
> 
> Anyway, I’m putting every penny I make into the bank. Just give me a little more time, Babe. I love you so much. I’ll be home before you know it.
> 
> Forever Yours,
> 
> Jared

 

When he had opened this particular letter, a paper-wrapped item had fallen out onto the table, but Jensen didn’t open it until he was done reading. Jared had written a short postscript at the bottom of the paper.

 

> I hope you like the small token of my love that I’ve included with this letter. Think of me often.

 

Jensen’s fingers trembled as he opened the gift. It was a small, silver charm fashioned in the shape of a Celtic love knot. He knew the symbol and what it meant. It represented their true and undying love for one another. Jensen automatically knew he would cherish the trinket until the end of his days.

That was the last Jensen heard from Jared.

That May he received another letter. The script on the envelope wasn’t familiar and Jensen frowned as he tore it open. What the letter inside revealed nearly killed him. It was from Captain Richard Speight, the man Jared had made fast friends with early on. Jensen knew who he was because he had been mentioned in several of the letters he’d received over the last couple of years.

Jared had been on a ship sailing from a southern port to another located several days further east. The vessel had been about halfway to its destination when it came under fire. It was said that the attacking ship was the one and only Revenge, a ship owned by the Dread Pirate Roberts. One man had been found clinging to life among the many who were slain. He had told the bloody tale of their fight, of the many who fought bravely and died. Many bodies were thrown overboard and lost at sea in the fray. Jared was counted among the missing and was presumed dead. Captain Speight sent his deepest sympathies and promised to make sure all of Jared’s assets found their way to Jensen since the young man had no next of kin.

Jensen’s hand shook as he read the letter; the fingers of his other hand clutched the charm hanging from a black cord around his neck. “No….nononono. No!” He dropped the paper and it fluttered slowly to the floor. He ran out the door into an afternoon of pouring down rain, leaving his father to wonder what the letter had said.

Alan knew five minutes later when he picked up the discarded parchment and read it.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Depressed wasn’t an appropriate word to describe Jensen. He spiraled down into the deepest despair. He became gaunt and sickly looking, hardly eating or sleeping. Day after day, the young man sat at the eastern-facing window in his room and blankly stared off into the horizon, towards the sea, towards where Jared had been lost.

Danneel had come over to try to comfort her grieving friend when she found out what had happened, but he didn’t bother to take notice of her. Jensen would only sit there with tears in his eyes, fingers clasped about the silver charm hanging at his heart. After several weeks with no change in the man, not even a word, Danneel began to give up hope. She would leave the house just shaking her head. “He doesn’t want help, Mr. Ackles. I don’t know what else to do.” She never stopped coming over and trying though.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Four months later found Jensen still living on automatic pilot. There were some slight differences as the time passed. He would now speak when spoken to (he still didn’t ever volunteer anything extra), he ate better (only because his father forced him to), and he slept more (not because he wanted to, but because it’s what your body did when it was so exhausted). His sporadic dreams were laced with the memories of his one true love. The problem was, he may have been alive, but he was no longer _living._

One evening while washing up from their dinner, a heavy knock sounded at the door. They weren’t expecting any sort of company; Alan excused himself, leaving Jensen by himself in the kitchen, to go answer the door. He was surprised to find a member of the royal guard standing on the step.

“Can I help you?” Alan certainly wasn’t expecting this…ever. He stared at the man who was dressed in a guard’s frock and chainmail, his helmet in hand.

The guard glanced at the sheet of parchment he held in his hand and then back up to Alan. “Is this the home of one Jensen Ross Ackles?”

Alan raised his brow. _What did the royal guard need with Jensen?_ He cleared his throat. “It is.” He glanced over his shoulder – Jensen was still in the kitchen, thankfully – then he looked back at the guard. “What’s this about? There’s no trouble is there?” There shouldn’t be; Jensen hadn’t left the house in four solid months.

“Who are you?” the man inquired.

In a business-like fashion, Alan held his hand out to shake the guard’s hand and introduce himself. The guard didn’t reciprocate. Accepting the slight, he replied, “I’m Alan Ackles, Jensen’s father.”

“His Royal Highness, the Prince Misha, is searching for a suitable man to become his husband. From what he has gathered, your son meets all of his requirements and he would like to meet with him.”

 _Prince Misha is gay?_ was the first thought that popped into Alan’s head. But then the reality of what the man in front of him just stated sank in; his fingers gripped the doorframe tightly. “Prince Misha…and my _son_?”

“Yes, sir.”

The guard handed Alan an envelope which he took and proceeded to open, breaking the wax seal representing the crown of Florin as he did so. He took a moment to read it over. It was a royal invite to the palace.

“It’s not a request. Jensen _must_ attend.” The man left anything else unspoken. It was a well-known fact that you didn’t disobey a command from the royal family; there were consequences if you did.

Alan continued to stare at the sheet in his hand and then he finally looked up at the guard. “Yeah…okay. I’ll make sure he’s there.” Before he closed the door, he inquired, “If I may ask, how many has His Highness requisitioned for this meeting?”

The guard looked mildly put off, but he answered the question. “Your son is the only one.” And then he turned and left, leaving Alan standing there wondering what had just happened to his small and predictable world.

Alan closed the door and turned around. _This couldn’t have happened at a worse time._ He was startled when he realized Jensen was standing just out of sight of the doorway. His son had heard the entire exchange.

“Jensen, I’m so sorry.”

The younger man turned without saying a word and walked away.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen slammed his bedroom door shut behind him and stalked up the flight of stairs, the third step groaning under his weight as he went. He sat down on the edge of his bed, the conversation he’d just eavesdropped on going through his head. _What the hell was that all about?_ He sighed and flopped down onto his back, throwing an arm over his eyes.

 _Too soon._ It was too soon after Jared’s death to deal with this shit; he was still in mourning.

Minutes ticked by; they slowly turned into hours. Jensen had dozed off, but was awoken by a gentle shake of his shoulder. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked up at his father. Jensen didn’t say anything as the man took a seat beside him on the bed.

The younger man could see the royal seal on the envelope his father held in his hand. He closed his eyes, wishing it would all go away. When he opened them again, his father was _still_ sitting there looking all sorts of sympathetic, and the envelope was _still_ in his hand. Jensen forced himself to sit up with a groan and snatched the letter from the man’s hand; his dad silently handed him his glasses from the nightstand.

The invite itself didn’t disclose anything. It was basically just his permission slip to enter the castle grounds. The date of the meeting was less than a week away. Jensen knew what that meant; he’d have to leave almost immediately. The capital of Florin was several days’ journey from their home.

“I’ll ride with you, keep you company if you want,” Alan offered.

“You have to work, Dad. I know the way.” Jensen folded the paper back up, took his glasses off, and tossed both items aside on the bed as he stared across the room to where Jared once slept; it was just a cold and vacant corner now. “I’ll go and meet with the man, but I’ll refuse whatever he offers.”

“Listen, Jensen. I know what’s happened with Jared is awful and the wound is still healing, but-”

“No!” Jensen’s eyes snapped over to his father. Then softly, he added, “I’m not ready to move on.”

Alan reached over and tucked a stray wisp of hair behind Jensen’s ear. His son had let himself go since Jared’s death. The man in front of him looked older than his twenty-five years. He was thankful Jensen had at least started eating and sleeping somewhat properly again.

The elder Ackles stood up from the bed. He felt awful about it, but he was going to have to take a firm hand in this matter. If Jensen just ignored this as he did most things these days, there would be trouble, trouble of the sort he knew they didn’t want to deal with; there was no refusing the royal family’s wishes.

“Well, whether you like it or not, you need to go. Tomorrow you will actually get up at dawn, shower, and accompany me into town. You need to see the barber and get yourself some clothing that fits properly now that you’ve lost so much weight. That beard needs to go, too. You may not be happy about this, but you’re still representing the Ackles’, son. And you’ll have to leave on Tuesday if you’re going to get to the palace on time.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Jensen rolled over, putting his back to the man and pulling the blanket up over his head, quite effectively cutting off any more conversation.

Alan just shook his head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen didn’t want to admit it, but he felt more like himself than he had in months when he finally stepped out of the barbershop and into the hustle and bustle of the busy afternoon. The sun warmed him as he ran a hand over his now smooth jawline. He hadn’t realized how bad he’d looked until he actually looked in the mirror that morning. Before today, Jensen couldn’t remember the last time he cared enough to give himself a glance. He had looked so…old.

He, by no means, was ready to move on from Jared, but for his father’s sake, he supposed he’d have to start to at least try to get back into a somewhat normal routine. He hadn’t noticed until today how his own actions (or lack thereof) were wearing on the man. His dad didn’t deserve that. And Jensen still couldn’t bring himself to blame his father for Jared going away. Deep down, he knew the man meant well; he wanted Jensen to be taken care of and to be able to have a good life. What else would a parent want for their only child?

As he was walking down the sidewalk, heading towards the office, Jensen heard his name squealed from somewhere nearby. Just as he turned in the direction of the voice, a small body slammed into him, causing an “oomph” to shoot out from between his lips and then he found himself enclosed in a tight embrace, the faint smell of a familiar perfume tickling his nose.

He hugged her back and pressed a kiss to the top of Danneel’s head. “Dani.”

They stood there together until Danneel pealed herself away and looked up at him. “Wow. I see you still clean up nicely, Jen.” As her eyes roamed over his form, she smiled and gave his lean belly a pat. “You could still use a little meat on those bones though. You’re too thin.”

“Um, yeah. I guess.” He lifted an eyebrow at the mixed compliment.

Then she smacked him hard on the shoulder and frowned at him. “Do you know how scared I was for you, letting yourself waste away like that?” Her brown eyes glared at him. “Don’t you ever do that to me again!” She jabbed her finger into his chest as she said each word. “I’m supposed to be your ‘go to’ person when you’re upset. You’re not supposed to hide from me.”

Jensen couldn’t help but smile a little at the scolding he was receiving. It was good to know how much his friend truly cared for him. “I promise. Never again.” He glanced up the street to a nearby sweet shop. “Can I make it up to you?” He waggled an eyebrow and gestured to the small, but popular, business with a tilt of his head.

When Danneel caught on and saw where he was looking, she hooked her slender arm through his and tugged him along. “This is just a start, my dear friend. And while we’re there, you’re going to tell me what’s going on, why you’re suddenly up and at ‘em. You owe me at least that much.”

It was Indian summer which meant it was still warm enough outside to find them sitting at a small table outside the shop while they ate the two dishes of ice cream a few minutes later. When they were done, Jensen pushed his dish aside and handed the royal invitation over to Danneel. He gave her a brief summarization of what it was all about.

“What are you going to do, Jen?” Her eyes met his over the table, knowing this was too soon for her friend.

“If he proposes marriage, I’m going to decline; that’s all,” he simply stated as his tongue darted out to lick a spot of ice cream off his lip.

“I’m not sure if that’s something you can turn down.” She folded the paper and passed it back across the table. “The prince is well within his rights to take you as his husband if he chooses to do so.”

“Well, he hasn’t met me yet, has he?” Jensen gave a mischievous smirk and Danneel tried to smile back, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Jensen pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth and chewed on it, the action betraying his uncertainty.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen arrived at the palace late Thursday, Ginny’s hooves _clip-clopping_ across the wooden drawbridge, breaking the steady silence of the evening outside the castle walls. He was a bundle of nerves and he was tired (and he smelled bad) from the long and lonely journey. The guards gave him unwelcoming glares until he presented his invitation from the prince. As soon as they realized who he was, they gave him their apologies and Jensen was immediately taken into the castle. (Ginny was led to the royal stables.) He was provided with a private room and a warm bath.

As he was led to his quarters, Jensen was informed that Prince Misha would allow him to rest for the evening, but would expect to see him at breakfast first thing. Someone would be sent to retrieve him in the morning.

Jensen dropped his travel bag to the floor and looked around the room as the door was closed behind him. A large, four-poster bed sat on a dais against the far wall in front of him; it was covered in thick, fluffy, blue, white, and gold comforters and pillows and looked all too inviting. Directly in front of the bed was a table with a bowl of fruit – Jensen’s stomach growled at the thought of food. Off to his left was a writing desk, complete with an assortment of parchment, pencils, quills, and ink. To his right, just inside the door, was an oversized fireplace with a sitting area in front of it; a fire had already been lit to warm the room. In the far corner, furthest away from the door, was a bath which was already filled with steaming water; he could smell a hint of lavender in the air. _Wow, these people don’t mess around, do they?_

Thick velvet curtains billowed in the evening breeze coming through the open windows. Jensen walked over to one of them and pulled the curtain aside. He looked down upon the square. Vendors were packing up their wares for the night. From the amount of people still out there, Jensen was sure it teemed with activity during the day.

He was so out of his element. And alone. Jared would know what to do…but Jared was gone. Jensen dropped the curtain back into place and slowly removed his travel-stained clothing. The charm his lover had given him still hung about his neck and the metal was warm where it rested against his heart. Jared may be gone, but Jensen vowed to never remove the one sign of his everlasting love.

Jensen sank into the bath a few minutes later and moaned as his aching muscles relaxed. He rested his head back on the rim of the tub and let himself drift.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

That night Jensen dreamed. He dreamed of Jared and the first time they had made love in the clearing that late summer day all those years ago. They had been so much younger; things had been so different then.

His lover had been gentle in taking him, his lovemaking sending sparks down to Jensen’s toes where they ricocheted and electrified every nerve in his body; his kisses were searing. The younger man had held Jensen securely in his arms while they lay there in post-coital bliss, whispering sweet nothings to one another.

Jared’s bright smile clung to Jensen’s conscious mind when he awoke and then rolled over, forcing himself to go back to sleep before he could think about it too much.

Jared was gone. Nothing could change that.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The next morning Jensen was dressed and waiting when the knock came at his door, summoning him. He followed the young servant through a maze of corridors and found himself beyond lost by the time they made it to the dining hall. Jensen looked at the young boy who had delivered him to the room. “You’ll show me how to get back to my room after, right?”

The servant smiled. “Prince Misha will make sure you find your way back, sir. He will be here shortly. Have a seat.” And then the boy turned and left Jensen standing by himself in the big, empty space.

The ceilings were at least fifteen feet high and Jensen’s boots echoed through the cavernous hall as he walked across the stone floor to the large oak table. He didn’t know which seat to take; there were eighteen chairs in all, one on each end of the long table and eight on either side. He shrugged and chose the closest to him and made his way to it. He didn’t know much about royal rules and etiquette, but he _did_ know that the chairs at the ends were usually reserved for the King and Queen.

Just as he was going to swing around to sit down, Jensen heard a man’s voice behind him and froze mid-motion. “Well, you must be Jensen. Turn around and let me have a look at you…although the backside is a rather beautiful view.”

Jensen felt heat rise in his cheeks, but he straightened and turned around to face the source of the voice, squaring his shoulders and mentally bracing himself for whatever this conversation might bring. It was the prince. No guessing with that golden crown sitting atop his head.

The man in front of him was handsome. He had dark, wavy hair, crystal clear, sky blue eyes, a firm jawline, soft lips... He was slightly shorter than Jensen, but with his boots, he certainly came close to equal height. He had a muscular build and was definitely someone who would have caught Jensen’s eye in the street at one point in his life.

The prince was dressed in formal royal garb, the most prominent feature of which was the knee-length, violet-colored doublet. At his waist was a wide belt of dark leather from which a jewel encrusted sword hung. (Jensen didn’t know if the sword was for decoration or the real thing; he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to find out.) All in all, Jensen thought the clothing was a little overkill if the prince was just meeting with him, a lowly commoner.

The man was smiling; a certain gleam in his cerulean eyes made Jensen squirm under the gaze. His mouth went dry and he didn’t know what to say as he stood there, feeling very exposed for some reason.

“Speechless? I know. I’m something to behold, don’t you think?” the prince teased as he approached Jensen. “Relax. I want to get to know you a little. I’ve heard a lot about you, things which have piqued my interest. So far you’ve exceeded my expectations.”

Prince Misha reached around Jensen, causing the man to stumble back a step, and picked a heavy goblet up from the table. “Here, have a drink. It’s water, direct from the palace spring. It should help with your lack of voice.” He grinned.

Jensen tried to keep his hand from shaking as he took the proffered cup and sipped from it. He had to admit, it felt like a balm to his suddenly dry throat. He didn’t realize how intimidating it would be, standing in the same room as royalty. The cat had snuck up and grabbed a good, solid hold of his tongue.

“See? I’m guessing you feel better already,” the prince said, still smiling.

Jensen cleared his throat. “Thanks, um, Your Highness,” he said somewhat stiffly, not sure how to address the man.

“Oh, stop with the formalities,” the prince dismissed the title with a wave of his hand. “Behind closed doors, just call me Misha. That title crap is for the birds.”

Jensen nodded mutely and took another sip of water.

Misha stepped around him and took the seat at the head of the table; he kicked his long legs out in front of him, relaxing back in the chair. “Sit. Food will be served shortly. I’m sure you’re ravished.” The prince’s eyes roamed over Jensen’s form again.

Jensen felt like he was being undressed under the man’s gaze and tried to suppress the uncomfortable shiver coursing through his body. Sitting was much preferable, so he quickly took the offered seat.

As promised, food was soon brought out. Jensen was starved, but you’d never know by the way he picked at the eggs and toast on his plate. He answered the prince’s questions and politely tried to listen when Misha offered tidbits about himself, his hobbies and activities around the court. He also explained to Jensen what would be expected of the prince’s consort, but he didn’t once push anything on the younger man.

As they got up to leave, Misha wiped his mouth off with a napkin and dropped it onto the table before stepping up next to Jensen; he didn’t make mention of the fact that Jensen barely touched his food. “Shall we?” He gestured to the door as he placed a hand at the small of the man’s back.

Jensen felt awkward being touched at first, but found his body craving the warm contact through his light linen shirt. Not only was his stomach starved, but apparently his body was, too, after close to four years of not being touched in such an intimate manner.

“I have some things I need to attend to, but I’ve pleasantly enjoyed your company this morning, Jensen.” The two men meandered through the never-ending corridors until they reached to door to Jensen’s room. Misha kept up with some small talk, pointing out rooms that they passed on the way…a library, several more guest rooms, a gallery, and a meeting room were a few of the places mentioned. When they finally got to their destination, Misha surprised Jensen by stepping up and crowding him up against the wall.

“I think I like you,” the prince said with a smile. (One thing Jensen concluded from meeting with the Prince this morning was that the guy smiled way too much. It was a little disturbing…but he was striking, nonetheless.) “For some reason I knew I was going to before I even met you.” Misha looked into Jensen’s wide green eyes. They sparkled with a hidden fervor which he was sure Jensen didn’t mean for him to see. “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are? And those freckles!” His gaze drifted down at the smattering of freckles dusting Jensen’s nose, then back to his eyes. “How absolutely divine you are.” He leaned in, audibly inhaling Jensen’s scent and then let his lips trail lightly over the sensitive skin of the man’s neck.

“Oh, fuck,” Jensen mumbled as he jumped at the sudden hot touch of the prince’s mouth, cracking his head on the stone wall behind him. He kept his body pressed flat against the smooth surface almost as if he was trying to become one with it, maybe disappear. Misha shifted back half a step, placing his hands up against the cool stone above his shoulders to either side of his head, caging him in. “Once or twice maybe, yeah.” He may have stuttered the answer to the prince’s question just a little. He licked his lips, wetting them, and he saw Misha’s eyes dart down to the movement. _Shit. I need to stop doing that._

“Well, whoever it was, they were right.” And then Misha leaned forward again and pressed a kiss to Jensen’s lips.

Jensen stopped breathing; he suddenly forgot how to do that one simple, but completely necessary, task. His eyes flew open at first, but then his body betrayed him and he opened his mouth under the persistent pressure of Misha’s mouth, the push of the man’s tongue against the pliant and giving seam of his lips. Oh, god, he felt so guilty, but he accepted the prince’s questing tongue and kissed him back. It had been so long… He felt a sudden twitch down below, but the he didn’t have time to consider it because a moment later, it was over.

Misha stepped back and Jensen noticed the blue of his eyes was almost lost to the darkness of his lust-blown pupils.

“And you’re a good kisser, too.” The prince winked, smile returning to his lips. “I think I might just want to keep you, Jensen. What do you say? Marry me. Walk beside me for all to see you as my husband.”

Jensen hadn’t had a chance to catch his breath; his mind was still reeling from the kiss and the sensations that came with it, and now this? Apparently, he was taking too long to answer because Misha elected to sweeten the deal.

“Your father… I know he would like to retire, right? I can make sure he is taken care of. He will not have need for anything for as long as he lives. All you have to do is accept my offer and say ‘yes’.”

The prince stood there, waiting, bright sapphire eyes watching Jensen intently.

 _Fuck. Does he want an answer right now?_ Jensen chewed on his lip and drew in a shaky breath. What was there out there for him? Nothing, except for the family business which he didn’t really want. And god, his father could be set all the way into his Golden Years.

“Yes.” The word fell from his lips before he could stop it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, from here on out, a lot of this follows the movie very closely. As I mentioned before, I've borrowed lines from the movie to keep the movie characters as intact as possible because I think they "make" the movie. (They're one of the main reasons I love it so much.) All credit for borrowed lines goes to William Goldman (author of the original Princess Bride story) and 20th Century Fox.

As soon as that single word of acceptance fell from Jensen’s lips, Misha swept him up and claimed another longer and more passionate kiss than the first. A grand feast was held that evening, lasting well into the night. When Jensen was finally allowed to retire, he found that his things had been moved to another larger room – or should he say suite of rooms? – which was located in the same wing of the palace as the prince’s chambers. Everything happened so fast and none of it felt real as he curled up in bed that night, fingers clenched tightly around the charm Jared had given him so long ago. Jensen cried himself to sleep, missing his true love. “I’m so sorry, Jared,” he whispered into his pillow as the tears fell.

The official announcement of Prince Misha’s engagement flooded the countryside. Three days later, Jensen found himself surrounded by a sea of people from all over as he rode Ginny through the square with a small retinue of the royal guard. He was going home to gather his belongings and say goodbye to his father. Jensen would have preferred to have been the one to tell his dad, but he was sure the man knew by now. He doubted anyone in the country _didn’t_ know.

Everyone was trying to get a glimpse of their future king’s husband-to-be. Rumors had spread like wildfire about the ‘angel with green eyes’ whom the prince had claimed for himself and he felt more than a little self-conscious by the time they finally made it through the gate.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Are you sure about this, Jensen?” They were in the living room; Alan was sitting on the couch and Jensen was leaning up against the wall by the fireplace.

The elder Ackles had mixed feelings about his son’s all too quick decision. Something just didn’t add up. After all, before leaving, Jensen had been adamant in the fact that he was going to say no if there was a proposal and then less than twenty-four hours after arriving at the palace, he had done the exact opposite; he had said yes.

Alan had wanted his son to choose for himself. He hoped the prince didn’t force this on Jensen, but the younger man refused to talk about it. One thing he knew was that Jensen had been right in their earlier argument about Danneel. There should be love when it came to marriage. And he could see his son was still grieving for Jared, even if he was hiding it almost too well.

Jensen looked up from the floor and gave his reply. “Well, there’s no backing out now, Dad. What’s done is done. It’s for the best.” He hadn’t told his father his reasoning for doing what he did, and he wouldn’t, but he could see his father knew there was more he wasn’t telling him. “Now let’s make some dinner. I’m starved.” Jensen was done talking about the “how” and the “why” of his decision. He just wanted one last ‘normal’ evening with his father.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen didn’t sleep in his bed that night. Instead, he pulled out the pile of old comforters from his closet and threw them down on the floor where Jared and he had once spent so much time together. He slept fitfully and the dawn broke too soon.

Before he knew it, it was time to leave.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The captain of the guard was a bit irritated when Jensen refused to start their trip back to the palace without stopping by Danneel’s house first. It took some effort, but he managed to talk the guard into letting him make the ride with only two men instead of ten.

His old friend opened the door; he noticed right away that her usual smile was absent. “Hi, Dani. I, um,” he fidgeted as he spoke, “I came to say goodbye.”

Danneel immediately came out onto the stoop and wrapped her arms around her best friend. “Oh, Jen, what happened? You said you weren’t going to do it.” She peered over his shoulder at the guards standing less than ten feet away and then quietly asked, “Did he force you to say yes?” She stepped back, waiting for his answer.

“No, nothing like that.” Jensen wiped a hand over his mouth before explaining. “He, um, promised to take care of my dad. And don’t tell my father about it. I don’t want him to know that’s why I did it.” His almost stoic features fell a little as he continued. “Dani, I don’t have anything out here anymore. With Jared gone, I’m just…empty. I could at least do something for the man who’s taken care of me my whole life.”

“But Jensen, you’re only twenty-five years old. You have your whole life ahead of you. Jared would’ve wanted you to find someone else, someone to love as much as you did him.” She eyed the Celtic knot hanging at Jensen’s breast; he clasped it instinctively. “And your dad? No father would want their child to give their life up for them. Jen…” She sighed sadly. “Why’d you give up on yourself so easily?”

Before Jensen could answer, the one of the guards cleared his throat and they both glanced at him.

“Look, I gotta go,” Jensen said as he looked back at his friend. “We were already running behind before I told them I wouldn’t leave without seeing you first.” He leaned forward and dropped a kiss to her forehead. “I love you like a pain-in-the-ass little sister, Dani.”

“I’ll miss you, Jen.”

Jensen pulled the woman in for a final hug. “I’ll miss you, too. Take care of yourself, okay?” And then he stepped away, turning quickly before she could see the emotion on his face.

There were tears in Danneel’s eyes as she watched her friend mount his horse and ride off towards his new life. “Goodbye, Jen.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The royal engagement was set to last a year and one month with the royal wedding scheduled to fall on the day of Florin’s 500th anniversary. Jensen spent the year getting accustomed to court life. (And it wasn’t easy…remembering all those ridiculously stupid rules. Who the hell said salad needed to be eaten with the small fork anyway? You could fit more on the large fork.)

The palace and its vast park-like grounds were open to him; the prince had allowed Jensen free rein to go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Over time, even Ginny seemed pleased with her new home and Jensen and his mare made sure to explore the kingdom’s surplus of forested acreage.

It took time, but Jensen eventually got back up to a healthy weight and the color returned to his cheeks. His smile even came back, not as brilliant as before, but it was there; it brought some light back to where there had been none for so long. He never did quite get the spring back in his step though.

As for his relationship with the prince, Jensen never grew especially fond of him, but the man wasn’t all that bad. Really, he never saw him much. The king’s health was steadily declining – the man could hardly remember his own name these days – and Misha was shouldering the task of ruling the country in the man’s stead. It wouldn’t be long before it was official, not from the looks of things. But Jensen was able to tolerate the kisses and the touches; he even reciprocated more often than not, but the niggling thought at the back of his mind wouldn’t let him forget what would be expected of him on his wedding night. He tried not to think too much about it, but the night was growing ever nearer.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Misha had known prior to their first meeting about Jared’s death and he knew Jensen had been in mourning. The prince took his time with the younger man; there was no reason to pressure him. And not once did he try to bed him, no matter how much more beautiful Jensen had gotten over the last year. That particular feat was usually reserved until after the wedding.

But Prince Misha stole his share of kisses (he _was_ entitled to them after all) and he could sense the neediness in his fiancé every time he slammed him up against a wall or threw him down onto the bed to lick into that sweet mouth or drag his teeth over those sinfully full lips. And he knew, if he pushed just a little, he could have his way with the man no matter how much Jensen tried to hide his yearning for more. Misha was counting down to their wedding for more reasons than one. He had big plans for that night.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

One crisp morning in early autumn, a short two weeks away from his wedding – somehow Jensen had managed to get away from all of the fittings; he counted _four_ separate outfits which he was required to wear on the big day – Jensen was out with Ginny riding deep in the forest. As he rounded a bend in the trail, he was startled when he saw three men standing up ahead of him in the middle of the path. Jensen had never encountered anyone this far out in the woods.

One of the men caught his eye immediately; there was no way anyone could miss him; the man was the size of a small house. In contrast, the second man couldn’t have been more than five feet tall on his best day. The third of them was tall, but not overly so; he was fit and trim and had a very deadly looking sword hanging at his side. If there was ever a trio of misfits to be had, this was it.

“You guys need some help?” Jensen offered as he pulled up on Ginny’s reins, bringing her to a stop a few feet in front of the three men.

The short man stepped forward and said, “We are but poor lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby where we might find some food and rest for the night?”

Jensen knew these woods; there was nothing remotely close, not even a guard post. “Nah, there aren’t any villages for miles, just trees.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his error when the man’s expression changed into a sneer. Jensen reached for the small dagger he kept as his side for protection, but he hadn’t reacted quickly enough. The giant of a man had already gotten behind him. The last he heard before darkness took over was the little man saying, “Good, that way no one can hear you scream...”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen slowly stirred several hours later. The subtle creaks of a boat surrounded him and the salty tang of sea air assaulted his nose. When he blinked his eyes open, it was only to see that they were sailing along the coastline. He feigned sleep when one of the men came near, hoping that by doing so, he’d be able to get an idea of who these men were and find out what they wanted with him.

“Vizzini, do you really think planting a piece of that Guilderian officer’s jacket on his horse is going to make the prince believe they’ve abducted his fiancé?” The voice Jensen heard had a strong Spanish accent. He believed it was the man who carried the sword, but he didn’t want to risk opening his eyes to find out.

“If it doesn’t, then finding his dead body on the Guilder frontier will be sure to confirm the prince’s suspicions.”

 _Oh, my god! They’re planning on killing me?_ Jensen twisted in the tight bindings at his wrists, but it was useless; they just wouldn’t give. He was stuck where he was for the time being.

A deeper voice boomed over the other two (the giant’s, Jensen assumed). “You never said anything about killing anyone.”

So it was the little man who was in charge Jensen surmised from what he was hearing. And he sounded irritated with the giant’s statement. “What did you think was supposed to happen? I hired you to help start a war!”

 _A war? There was no way his own death could start a war…was there?_ Jensen felt the air shift around him as a large presence approached. He couldn’t prevent himself from jumping slightly when the big man spoke again, the voice right above him. “I just don’t think it’s right, killing an innocent man to start a war.”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll make sure to find the first ship sailing by Greenland and send you back where you came from. Remember, Fezzik, I didn’t hire you for your brains. I’m not asking you to think.”

Booted footsteps retreated and Jensen heard lighter steps coming closer to where Fezzik was sitting by him. It was the Spaniard.

“He can be such a grouch. Just ignore him Fezzik. I do find myself agreeing with you though. It doesn’t seem right, but who are we to say anything?” the man said with a tone of resignation. “We were only hired to do a job.”

The giant placed a huge hand on Jensen’s shoulder – more like on his whole damn arm from shoulder to forearm – and Jensen could immediately tell Fezzik was a gentle being. Soon he was lulled into a natural sleep from the steady sway of the boat. For some reason, Jensen found himself feeling a sense of security under the ‘protection’ of the man, however temporary it might be.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Sometime later, Jensen woke up again. He didn’t try to hide it this time as he groaned from his stiff muscles. They were still at sea and it was dark out, like ‘middle of the night’ dark.

“We’re making good timing and should reach the cliffs by dawn,” Vizzini stated from the somewhere up near the bow of the small ship. Now that Jensen had his bearings, he found himself resting on the floor midway down the starboard side of the ship. And then he heard the short Sicilian – Jensen was guessing that’s what he was from the man’s attire and his slight accent – ask, “Why do you keep doing that?”

“I’m just making sure no one is following us,” the Spaniard replied from the stern.

“That would be inconceivable.”

Jensen couldn’t just lie there anymore. He shifted and pulled himself up so he could sit up against the wall. “It’s quite conceivable. My Lord has surely found out that I am missing by now. You will all be caught and hanged for this; I can assure you of that.”

Vizzini stomped over to Jensen and gripped the man by his collar, yanking him roughly upward. (He might have been small in stature, but he was strong.) “Of all the necks on this boat, _Highness_ , it should be yours that you are worried about.” He slammed Jensen back down against the wall and looked back over at the Spaniard. “Inigo, would you stop doing that. You’re starting to bother me. No one is following us.”

“Are you sure?”

“As I told you, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable. No one in Guilder knows what we’ve done, and no one in Florin could have caught up to us so fast.” And then the man paused. “Why would you ask that?”

“It’s just that I happened to look behind us and something is there.”

Jensen felt a small twinge of hope as he watched the small man run up the steps to where Inigo was standing. Vizzini looked out over the dark waters with the Spaniard. “Probably some local fisherman taking a pleasure cruise at night through eel infested waters.”

As the men were otherwise occupied, Jensen finally managed to slip a hand from his bindings and quickly untied the ropes about his ankles. Not giving a damn where they were, he dove over the side of the ship and into the cold, dark waters below.

The icy chill jolted his system and Jensen took a deep breath, gasping. He tread water as he tried to catch his breath. As he did, the three kidnappers ran to the railing and looked down at him.

“Inigo, jump in and get him!” Vizzini yelled.

“I don’t swim,” the Spaniard said flatly.

The small man let out a deep huff of frustration and then looked at Fezzik.

“I only dog-paddle.” The big man lifted his brow and shrugged.

“Useless,” the Sicilian muttered as he turned and looked down at Jensen again. “Do you know what’s in these waters?”

Jensen was about to ignore the man, but suddenly he heard a loud, bone-chilling shriek echo across the water. _What the fuck was that?_

“You hear that, Highness? Those are the shrieking eels. If you don’t believe me, just wait. They always grow louder as they’re about to feed on human flesh.”

As if on cue, another shriek screamed out from behind Jensen and he quickly turned his head to see what it was, but it was too dark. And then he flinched and let out a small yelp as something moved by him under the water, hitting his leg. Jensen’s heart began to pound from the fear and panic taking over his body.

“If you swim back now, I promise no harm will come to you. I doubt you’ll get such an offer from the eels.” Vizzini laughed as he stared down at the young man.

Jensen was at a loss. Basically it came down to how he wanted to die…by eel or by the hand of one of the three men looking down at him. Obviously, he was taking too long to think about it because suddenly he heard another eel over his shoulder. As he turned to look, he came face-to-face with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth coming straight at him. Jensen was petrified and found that he couldn’t move. Just as the eel lunged at him, a large hand swung down, punching the creature in the side of the head and then Jensen found himself being swiftly pulled from the freezing waters.

Fezzik set him down on the floor and Inigo proceeded to wrap a wool blanket around Jensen, rubbing his arms to try to warm the man up.

“Take it easy,” the Spaniard said. “And I suggest you do not try something so stupid again. You may not be so lucky next time.”

Jensen only nodded as his teeth chattered in his head, both from shock and from the cold dampness saturating his body.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Morning came all too quickly and Jensen was awoken by Vizzini and Inigo going on about the ship that was apparently still behind them and catching up. He shifted and that was when he noticed his hands were bound again, this time in front of him.

“Inconceivable!” the Sicilian exclaimed loudly as he peered out across the waters. “Oh well, no matter. Look! The Cliffs of Insanity!” He gestured to a towering white wall of rock rising from the waters. “Whoever’s following us will have to sail for hours before he finds a harbor. He won’t be able to follow us with the route we’re taking.”

Jensen soon felt the bottom of the boat scuff along the sandy shoreline. Fezzik came over shortly after and easily lifted him from the floor, hoisting him over his shoulder without even a grunt.

“You know, you could help save me. I’m sure the prince would reward you for it,” Jensen said quietly to the giant as he was carried from the ship; he twisted in the giant’s grip and could see the ground passing by below his head.

Before the man could respond, Vizzini started yelling out orders, sounding more desperate as he watched the nearing ship. “Come on, we must get up the rope. Quickly!”

The world spun as Jensen was flipped over and then found himself being manhandled into a leather harness on Fezzik’s right hip; Vizzini was on the giant’s left side and Inigo was hanging from the man’s back. Jensen looked around and then…up. His grip tightened on Fezzik as the man started climbing a thick rope hanging from somewhere up above in another world.

“C’mon. There’s gotta be something you want, money, land? Just…do we really need to go up there?” Jensen wasn’t necessarily afraid of heights, but this was insane. Silently he laughed to himself, _I guess that’s where the cliffs get their name._

“Be quiet, Highness,” Vizzini yelled at Jensen across the giant’s broad chest. “There are already plans laid out for you.”

The ground started getting further and further away below them and Jensen glanced out to the waters only to see the ship which had been following them land beside theirs. Whoever the person was, he was persistent. Jensen could only pray the man was here to rescue him.

Inigo noticed the man as well. He was dressed all in black and was surely following them as he took a hold of the rope and started climbing up after them. “Um, Vizzini, whoever he is, he’s following us.”

The small man glanced down and shouted, “Inconceivable!” He looked at the giant and started poking him with a finger in the shoulder. “Climb faster, you big lout! We’ll cut the rope when we get to the top.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t do that, Vizzini,” Inigo warned from Fezzik’s back. “You don’t want him to lose his grip.” All he got for that was a warning glare from the little man.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The trip up the cliff progressed much more quickly than Jensen had ever thought possible, and to be quite honest, he sighed a breath of relief when he was set down on his feet at the top. He looked around and the place appeared to have been a stronghold at one time. The remains of stone walls and steps could be seen all around them. Off in the distance, he could see long, rolling fields of grass with outcroppings of white rock scattered about here and there.

“Inigo, cut the rope. That’ll teach him to stick his nose in someone else’s business.” Vizzini ordered.

Jensen turned and watched as Inigo pulled a small dagger from his belt and started sawing away at the rope. He bit into his lower lip as the fibers of the rope came apart under the bite of the sharp blade. Finally, it snapped and the end disappeared over the edge. That man down there may have been his only chance at living to see another day. Jensen suddenly tried pulling out of Fezzik’s grasp, but he might as well have been asking for the moon.

Vizzini and Inigo walked to the edge as Jensen stood helplessly, arm in Fezzik’s steel-tight grip.

“He’s still there!” Inigo exclaimed, full of surprise.

Jensen’s eyes snapped over to the ledge when he heard the words. Just maybe he might survive this. One could only hope, right?

“Inconceivable!”

The Spaniard looked at Vizzini and creased his brow. “You know, I do not think that word means what you think it means.” Without waiting for a response, he peered back over the edge. “He’s climbing the rocks now.”

“Well, whoever he is, he’s clearly seen us with Jensen and cannot be allowed to live. If he makes it to the top, kill him,” he demanded of Inigo.

Inigo glanced back down to the mysterious man, then said, “I think I will do him left-handed.” He unsheathed his sword and made a few crisscrossing swipes with it in the air, light glinting off its smooth surface.

Vizzini watched him for a moment. “I don’t care if you do him upside down and backwards. Just get it done with.” He turned and walked straight past Fezzik and Jensen, heading towards the fields beyond. “Fezzik, come on.”

Jensen took one last look over his shoulder as he was dragged off by his bound wrists.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Inigo stepped up to the edge and looked down at the Man in Black. He was impressed that the man was still there.

“Hello down there,” he called. “Slow going?”

“You could say that. Look, I don’t wanna be rude, but unless you’re planning on helping, maybe you could hold off on the conversation until I get up there.”

“Sorry.” Inigo began to pace. He was looking forward to the upcoming sword fight. It had been a while since he’d had a good duel, and this man looked promising. He stopped and looked over the edge again. “Um, I don’t suppose you could move a little faster?”

A laugh echoed up the face of the cliff. “Are you serious? You know, it would’ve helped if you didn’t cut the damn rope on me.”

“Oh.” Inigo looked around and saw that there was still a good length of rope wrapped around the rock in which it had been tied. “I have more rope. Just give me a minute. But just so you know, I am only waiting around so I can kill you when you get up here.”

The Man in Black shifted and climbed up another few feet before answering. “Well then, I guess we won’t be laughing about it over drinks later, huh?”

Inigo smiled. “No, I don’t suppose so. But, if it helps, I’ll be fair and let you get to the top before challenging you. Sound fair?”

A grunt came from below as the man slipped, sending rocks scattering into the sea below. “Yeah, fair enough. Now, I think you said something about a rope.”

“Oh, yes. Hold on just one moment.” Inigo ran over to the rock and unlooped a good amount of the leftover rope from it and tossed it over the edge, the end just reaching the man.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Several minutes later, the mysterious man pulled himself up and over the edge. He took a few deep breaths and then stood up to his full height, standing taller than the Spaniard by several inches. And then he went to draw his sword.

“No, wait. I will give you a few minutes to compose yourself. That was quite the climb.”

“Thank you.” The Man in Black took a seat on a rock and pulled a boot off. Inigo watched him curiously as he tipped it upside down and shook a loose stone out. “That’s been bothering me since about thirty feet up,” he said as he slipped his boot back on.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“You don’t happen to have six fingers on your right hand, do you?”

“Now that’s gotta be the weirdest question anyone’s ever asked me. But no,” he showed the Spaniard his right hand and wiggled his gloved fingers, “only five as you can see. Why do you ask?”

“A man with six fingers made an unfair deal with my father twenty years ago. When my father stood up for himself, the man stabbed him through the heart. I challenged him to a duel…and lost. He did this to me.” Inigo showed the Man in Black a slashed scar on each of his cheeks. “I have since studied fencing and learned everything there is to know so that one day I may face him again and do my father justice.”

“Well, I hope you are able to avenge your father’s death.” The Man in Black stood up then. “Why don’t you show me what you have learned.”

“You are ready then?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He pulled his sword from its sheath and stepped back, waiting for the Spaniard.

“You seem a decent fellow. I hate to have to kill you.”

“And you, as well. I hate to have to kill you.” The Man in Black took a few test swings at Inigo to get an idea of the man’s fighting style. He could see right off that the man was more than a little good.

Finally, the two men’s swords rang out in the afternoon and they did a complex dance around the rocky remnants of the fort. They complimented each other’s skills as they did so, both being evenly matched.

“You are using Bonetti’s Defense against me, aye?” The Spaniard stated.

“It works well in this terrain.”

“Naturally, you must suspect me to attack with Capo Ferro?”

“Of course… But I find that Tibal cancels out Capo Ferro. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa, which I have.”

They continued fighting, neither tiring, neither breaking much of a sweat.

Inigo exclaimed after a while, “You are a wonderful fighter.”

“I thought the same about you.” The Man in Black ran up a flight of stairs to gain higher ground.

“But I think you are better than me,” Inigo continued, smile on his face.

“So why the smile?” The Man in Black remained guarded, knowing the Spaniard could trick him at any moment.

“Because I know something you do not know.”

“Oh, really?”

“I am not left-handed.” Inigo tossed his sword from his left hand to his right, grinning widely and taking another swing at the Man in Black.

The strike was dodged and the taller man chuckled. “That’s funny, because you know what? Neither am I.” He mirrored the Spaniard and swapped his sword from one hand to the other and showed off a few more intricate fencing skills.

“Again, I say you are amazing. Who are you?”

“No one special.”

“But I must know. You are a fabulous fighter.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that.”

Inigo frowned as he parried and blocked another swipe of the man’s sword and they continued to fight. Sometime later, the Man in Black knocked Inigo’s sword from his hand; the Spaniard dropped to his knees in defeat.

“Please, make it quick,” Inigo requested.

The Man in Black stepped up behind him. “I would as soon destroy a stained glass window as an artist like yourself. You’re very impressive. But, I can’t have you following me either. So…” He swung at Inigo with the butt of his sword, knocking the man out cold.

Once he made sure the Spaniard wouldn’t be getting back up, he took off at a run to follow the other men who disappeared off into the fields.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen was towed across the field – _more like carried_ – by the walking house (as he’d started thinking of the giant as). All the while, Vizzini was cursing his luck and looking back over his shoulder. He hoped, by now, Misha would be searching for him; Jensen had been gone long enough.

As for the Man in Black, Jensen was still trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted. The Sicilian was right last night when he had said it was too soon for anyone in Florin to have caught up with them. The mask the man wore led Jensen to think along other lines, ones which worried him more than death. Two words rang out in his mind: pirates and slavery. And Jensen knew with his looks (even if he was modest about it), the kind of slavery he’d be sold into would be a lot worse than death.

“Inconceivable!”

Jensen turned in the giant’s grasp when he heard the small man yell. To his surprise, the Man in Black came running up from the old fort, not Inigo.

Vizzini caught up with Fezzik a moment later. “Here, give him to me.”

Fezzik’s tight hold on Jensen’s arm let go…and thank god, maybe he’d get some circulation back in the limb. As the exchange was being made, Jensen made an attempt to slip out of their hold and run. He immediately stilled, eyes wide, when a pinching pain emanated from his side. Vizzini had produced a small dagger – Jensen’s own dagger, he realized when he looked down at it – and was digging it into the soft flesh directly over his right kidney.

“Smart man. Now stay put or you’ll get worse than that.” Vizzini warned, pressing in on the small blade just enough to prove to Jensen that he was in control of the situation. Then the man looked up at Fezzik. “The Man in Black is heading this way. Clearly, Inigo wasn’t as masterful with the sword as he thought.”

“What do you want me to do?” Fezzik looked off in the distance and scratched his head.

“Finish him. Do it your way.”

Fezzik slowly looked at the man. He almost looked afraid to ask, “What’s my way, Vizzini?”

“Oh, my god! Pick up one of these,” he gestured to several large boulders lying around them, “get behind a rock, and when he gets close enough, throw it at his head. With your strength, it should be enough to kill him.”

“That doesn’t seem very sportsman-like.”

Vizzini growled in irritation. “Just take care of him!” He stormed off, keeping Jensen at his side, the dagger a continuous threat to the younger man’s well-being.

Jensen had no choice but to keep up.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

As the Man in Black came within throwing distance, Fezzik threw a heavy rock at him. The man caught sight of the motion and ducked just as it crashed into a tall boulder over his head.

Fezzik stepped out from his hiding place and put his large hands on his hips. He smiled. “I did that on purpose. I didn’t have to miss. I just wanted to get your attention.”

“Well, it worked,” the Man in Black said as he looked around the giant for the other two men. “Where are your friends?”

“You mean Vizzini and the prince’s fiancé?” Fezzik glanced off into the distance behind him. “I don’t know. Vizzini just told me I have to kill you.”

“Well, thanks for the warning.” The Man in Black sized up the giant. He, himself, usually stood about a half a foot taller than most, but this man…he was nearly a foot taller than even himself. The Man in Black wasn’t sure how he was going to get through this mountain of a man, but he was up for the challenge. He was surprised a moment later when the giant continued.

“If you don’t mind, I think we should do this as God intended…sportsman-like…no tricks, no weapons, just skill.”

“You mean you drop your rock and I drop my sword and we’ll try to kill each other like civilized people?” At the giant’s nod, and without hesitation, he said, “Okay, sure.” He stabbed his sword into the soft ground at his side. “But seriously, I think you have an unfair advantage. Look at you.”

“It’s not my fault I’m the biggest and the strongest.”

Before the man finished his sentence, the Man in Black ran with all the speed he could muster and rammed his shoulder into the giant’s torso…only the giant didn’t budge; he didn’t even flinch. “Shit, you’re a big one, aren’t you? Tell me again how this is supposed to be a fair fight.”

Fezzik took a swing at him and the man dodged it. “I just wanted to let you feel that you are doing well. I hate for someone to have to die embarrassed. But you are quick, so you have some advantage.” He lumbered around, trying to keep the smaller man in sight. “Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid or something?”

The Man in Black smiled at the question as he ran around the back of the giant and jumped up onto his back. He threw his arms around the tree trunk of a neck and squeezed tightly. “Nope. I just find it very comfortable.”

The giant grasped at the man’s arms, holding onto to him, and then backed up hard into a nearby boulder. A loud “oomph” was heard from the man on his back as the wind was knocked out of him.

“It is much harder to fight just one person,” Fezzik stated.

“Why do you say that?” the Man in Black questioned breathlessly.

“Well,” the giant backed up into the boulder again, causing another burst of air to come out of the man’s lungs, “it’s different when you are trained to fight a large group of people instead of just one. You use,” – another crash against the boulder, this time not quite so hard – “different moves.” The giant was struggling for breath under the Man in Black’s still tightening grip around his neck.

“I never really thought about that.”

The giant suddenly stumbled and collapsed to his knees. There was no reply as he fell forward onto the ground, unconscious.

The Man in Black stood up and arched his sore back. “Wow. Don’t ever want to do that again,” he mumbled to himself as he stared at the giant a moment longer. “Sweet dreams. You’re gonna have one mother of a headache when you wake up. Sorry about that.”

He ran off to begin tracking where the other two men had disappeared to.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Prince Misha reined his horse in when he arrived at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity. Count Rugen was with him as well as six of his guards. He dismounted and began looking around at the ground.

“There was a great duel.” He followed the prints in the dirt, miming the poses he deduced from the tracks. “They were both really good. But the loser ran off alone…that way.” He pointed off to his left. “And the winner…that way, towards Guilder.” He looked to the east…his enemy’s country.

“Shall we track them both, sir?” the count asked.

“And explain to me why we would want to follow the loser?” He mounted his horse, not waiting for Rugen to explain his thoughts. “Only Jensen matters to me. Clearly this was all planned by the warriors of Guilder. We must be prepared for anything.”

“Do you think this is a trap?” The count looked around warily.

Prince Misha looked at the count. He smiled. “If you want to stay alive, you should always assume everything is a trap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to leave comments. They keep the fire going :)
> 
> Thank you again for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

Jensen had made one more attempt at fleeing, but the only thing he had to show for it was what felt like a three inch gaping hole in his side. Since he’d never been stabbed before, he didn’t know if it felt worse than it actually was, or if it really _was_ that bad. All he knew was that he could feel the warm, sticky trickle of blood mixed with sweat under his shirt. Vizzini might be smaller than him, but being bound as he was didn’t give Jensen all that many options.

“Can’t we at least talk about this?” Jensen pleaded. “If you let me go, I swear nothing will happen to you. You will be paid whatever ransom you want.”

“Shut up before I gag you as well,” the angry Sicilian replied as he continued along at a hurried pace, dragging Jensen by his sleeve and keeping the dagger close.

Vizzini was furious. He had lost his swordsman and he didn’t have high hopes for the clumsy – not to mention, stupid – giant. He was trying to put together an impromptu plan to finish this job, and, _dammit_ , if Guilder wasn’t still so many miles away. And now he had some mysterious Man in Black on his tail. What in the world was up with that?

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Several miles were now behind them and there was still no sign of the Man in Black. Vizzini had allowed Jensen a few brief moments here and there to catch his breath, but the man was pushing them both to their limits. Jensen couldn’t help but keep looking back over his shoulder. Had Fezzik taken the Man in Black down? It was very possible.

After another mile or so, Jensen found himself being led over to a small cluster of rocks. “Sit,” the Sicilian ordered tersely when they reached them.

And Jensen sat. _What other choice did he have?_ A moment later, he panicked as darkness enveloped him – Vizzini had wrapped a strip of cloth around his head to blindfold him – but the feeling subsided some when the man mumbled something about stopping to eat. Of course, Vizzini never once mentioned anything about sharing; Jensen’s stomach growled at the mere thought of food.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Vizzini had just gotten everything out of his pack and was biting into a chunk of bread when he glanced up and saw the Man in Black walking towards them. _Damn._

“So, it is down to you and me then.” Vizzini quickly picked up his knife and held it under Jensen’s chin as the tall man continued in his approach. “By all means, if you want him dead, just keep moving forward.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen tensed when the sharp point of the dagger pressed into the tender flesh of his neck. He wanted to yell at the Man in Black to stop, tell him that Vizzini was serious about the threat, but instead, he kept quiet and stayed absolutely still.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The words caused the Man in Black to stop, hands held up showing that he was complying with the Sicilian’s request. “Don’t you want to know why I’m here?” He leaned up against an outcropping of rock at his side and crossed his arms.

“You’re here to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen. There is nothing to explain.”

“Maybe we can come to a mutual agreement then, make a deal?”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen swallowed. _Who were these people?_ As far as Jensen was concerned, he was nothing, no one. He wasn’t married to Misha yet; he had no real value. But apparently these two men thought he was worth enough. Then he heard Vizzini decline the man’s offer and couldn’t hold back the cry of pain when the dagger bit into his skin.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The Man in Black eyed the crimson drop of blood rolling down the blade and then looked at Vizzini. “Then what do you think we should do now?” He continued to relax up against the sun-warmed rock; the expression on his face was confident and he smiled at the Sicilian.

Vizzini raised his brow. “You’re asking me? Ha!” His eyes roamed up and down the man’s muscled physique. “Well, obviously, I’m no match for you physically…but you are no match for my brains.”

“You’re that smart?”

“Ever hear of Plato, Aristotle…Socrates?”

“Sure, I have.”

“Complete morons! All of them.”

The Man in Black suppressed a chuckle. This man was something else. “Well, then, I challenge you to a battle of wits. Are you up to it? Your mind against mine.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen held his breath as he waited for Vizzini’s answer. Between the wound on his side and the new, stinging one that he’d just received, he hoped the man would accept. At this point, Jensen thought he’d rather take his chances with the Man in Black, pirate or not. The Sicilian was getting a little too sharing and caring with his dagger in his opinion. Finally, he felt the sharp blade removed from its place under his chin as Vizzini answered. Jensen sighed and let himself breathe again when the answer came forth.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“For the prince-to-be? To the death? I accept.” Vizzini grinned as he put the knife down next to his food.

“May I?” The Man in Black gestured to a rock near the boulder where the Sicilian had his meal set out.

“Just don’t try anything,” Vizzini warned, narrowing his eyes.

“Never. Now pour some wine,” the man said as he took a seat and then proceeded to reach into a hidden pocket at his side. He pulled out a small glass vial and opened it. When Vizzini finished filling their cups, he held it out to the man. “Smell.”

The Sicilian took the vial from the man and sniffed it. “I smell nothing. What is it?” He handed it back to the Man in Black.

“Iocane powder, in its purest form. It’s odorless, tasteless, and dissolves instantly in liquid. It’s one of the more deadly poisons known to man.”

“I’ve heard of it.”

The Man in Black picked up the two goblets of wine and turned, putting his back to the Sicilian. A moment later, he turned back around and placed them down on the rock between them. “The battle of wits has begun. It’s up to you to decide which one to drink from. One of us will live; one of us will die.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen was intrigued by the Man in Black’s challenge. He was curious to see if Vizzini was capable of defeating him. He listened, hearing the small man shift beside him. What he soon heard, between the ramble of words that poured forth from the man’s mouth, was _fear_. Vizzini didn’t have a clue…and neither did Jensen for that matter. _How could someone figure that out?_ It came down to luck more than anything. Jensen allowed himself to smirk, just a little. Served the smug little bastard right.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Vizzini stared at the two goblets, considering them, and then he looked up at his opponent. He grinned. “But it’s so simple. All I have to do is make my decision based on what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy’s? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he is given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.”

The Man in Black sat back and smiled. “So, you’ve made your decision then?”

Vizzini chuckled. “Not remotely. Because Iocane comes from Australia. And as everyone knows, Australia is entirely populated by criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So, I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.”

“You have a very dizzying intellect.” The Man in Black was becoming weary of the man’s endless stream of words and shifted in his seat, stealing a quick glance at the bound man sitting next to the Sicilian, eying the blood stain on his shirt.

“Just wait… Now where was I?”

“Australia.” The word came out with an agitated sigh.

“Oh, yes. Australia! And you must have suspected I would have known the powder’s origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.”

“Are you going to make your decision? I really don’t have all day. I’m starting to think you’re stalling.”

“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you! You’ve beaten my giant, which means you’re exceptionally strong, so you could have put the poison in your own goblet trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you’ve also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied…and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!”

The Man in Black shook his head. “If you’re trying to make me give something away, it’s not gonna work.”

“But it _has_ worked! You’ve given everything away. I _know_ where the poison is.”

“Then shut up and drink… _please_.”

“Sure, I choose…” Suddenly, he looked behind the man’s shoulder and pointed. “What in Florin is that?”

When the Man in Black turned to see what he was talking about, Vizzini quickly swapped goblets.

The Man in Black turned back, eying the Sicilian suspiciously. “There’s nothing there. Obviously, you’re delusional. Now choose and drink,” he nearly growled with impatience.

“I could have sworn I saw something. Well anyway, as I was saying… I will be a gentleman and drink from the glass that was given to me.” He laughed quietly to himself as he picked it up.

“What’s so funny?”

“Let’s drink first and then I will tell you.”

They both drank.

“You have guessed wrong,” the Man in Black stated firmly.

“Actually, that’s what’s so funny. I didn’t. I switched glasses when your back was turned. You fool! Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” He laughed hysterically at his own cleverness. And then he abruptly stopped and fell over onto the ground, dead.

Unfazed, the Man in Black immediately got up and pulled the blindfold off Jensen. He then cut through the rope binding the man’s hands.

As Jensen rubbed his wrists, he glanced down at the dead Sicilian and then he looked up and eyed the mysterious man. Now that he was up close to him, he saw that the guy was _big_ , well-built and very tall, not nearly as tall as the giant, but as far as _normal_ people were concerned, he was. Jensen found himself quite intimidated, especially knowing the man was no idiot like the other three who had been holding him captive. “Who are you?”

“No one you want to mess with,” was the curt answer. The man was looking off into the distance from where he had come, almost as if he was watching for someone.

“So it was your glass that had the poison in it the whole time?” Jensen was still curious about what had just happened between the two men.

“Actually, they were both poisoned. I’ve spent the last couple of years building up immunity to the powder for just such a time as this.” He looked at the man’s reddened shirt again. “How’s your side? Is it bad?”

“I’ll live,” Jensen replied to the question, surprised that the man even gave a damn. He wouldn’t admit to how much it really hurt though.

Then Jensen suddenly found himself being hauled off again, just this time by the Man in Black, a pirate no less, a man who didn’t feel the need to restrain him…and for some reason that scared him even more.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Prince Misha and his men came upon the rocks where the Man in Black had beaten Fezzik.

“Someone has beaten a giant. Guilder will suffer greatly if Jensen dies.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen and his latest captor stopped when they reached the border of Guilder. “Look, I don’t know what you want with me, but Misha will reward you for my safe return, whatever it is you want. I promise. Can’t you people just let me go?” He had been getting more and more nervous as they neared the neighboring country. “God, this fucking sucks,” Jensen mumbled under his breath as he rubbed at the back of his neck and looked around. He was thankful, at least, that the man had given him a chance to take a break. Jensen had thought Vizzini was bad; this guy was pushing him even harder.

“Tell me, Your Highness, what is your _promise_ worth?”

Jensen spun around and looked at the man, frowning. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_ “I was trying to give you an out. Misha is one of the greatest hunters who ever lived. He will find you no matter where you take me, even if we’re in Guilder.”

“You’re so sure that your dearest love will find you?”

“I never said he was my ‘dearest love’.”

“So, you don’t love your fiancé?”

“He knows I don’t love him.”

“No, what you mean is that you are incapable of love,” the Man in Black snapped at Jensen.

“Fuck! Really?” Jensen’s body tensed. “Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t know anything about me.” The man in front of him really had some goddamn nerve. He looked off towards where he knew the sea to lie, thinking of his long lost love. “I’ve loved more deeply than a killer like yourself could ever know.”

“Oh, is that so?” Anger flashed behind the black mask and the Man in Black grabbed Jensen by the shirt collar, causing Jensen to cower, wondering if he should have been more careful about what he said. “Watch what you say, _Highness_. I _have_ loved…and have suffered greatly for it.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Prince Misha brought his horse to a halt and dismounted. He toed the dead man over and looked at him. When he noticed the empty vial sitting beside the goblets he picked it up and sniffed it.

He lifted his brow in recognition. “Iocane powder.” And then he added with a smile, “Good stuff if I do say so myself.” The prince glanced around the ground, seeing two sets of footprints heading off across the field towards the border of Guilder. “Jensen is still alive…or was when he left here. I will be very displeased if anything should happen to my fiancé.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen was allowed more rest after running for another mile or so; this time they were at the crest of a deep ravine. For the moment, he was sitting on a rock so he could rest his feet as well as catch his breath. His mind had been working overtime since the odd conversation with the man who was currently holding him prisoner and he came to the only conclusion that made sense.

“I’ve figured it out. I know who you are,” he said with a sharp tone of resentment in his voice.

The Man in Black turned from his watch and looked down at him. “Oh? Please, do tell. Who am I?”

“You’re the Dread Pirate Roberts.”

“Well done, _Highness_ , well done.” He smiled and took a deep, sweeping bow.

“I hate you,” Jensen said bitterly, his green eyes growing ice cold.

“And why is that? Why do you despise me so much?” The Man in Black tilted his head out of curiosity, ignoring the frosty expression on the man’s face.

“You killed him; you killed my one true love.”

“Really? I have killed so many. Why don’t you describe him to me. Was he another prince…rich, snooty, arrogant?”

“No!” Jensen stood up, full of fury as he rounded on the man. “He was a poor farmboy…sweet, loving, and perfect. With the most beautiful eyes of hazel and gold and a smile so genuine that I’ve never seen its like since. And _you_ took him from me! He was trying to make something of himself so he could come back for me. You attacked his ship two years ago, just before he was to return home...to me! Only one person from their ship survived your cruelty that day.”

“Really?” The Man in Black lifted a brow. “Someone got away? I will have to find out who let him live and kill him myself.”

Jensen was stunned. _How could anyone be so callous?_

“I seem to remember this boy you speak of. Just about your height, a mop of brown hair…right? He died well, no crying or anything like some. All he said was, ‘Please… Please, you must let me live.’ When I asked why, he went on with some drivel about true love and described the man he was in love with, how beautiful and faithful he was. I’m guessing it was you he was talking about. It’s a good thing he died. It saved him from having to see what you really are.”

Jensen had had enough. He raised his fist and swung. He didn’t quite connect where he wanted to, but he still connected solidly enough.

“Ow! Fuck!” the big man cursed as he stumbled back a step, rubbing at his jaw and flexing it. When he regained his composure, he continued on rather cruelly, “How long did you wait after you found out he died to become engaged to the prince, an hour…or maybe a week out of respect for the dead? How many times have you let him _fuck_ you?”

“Screw you, you son of a bitch! Who the hell do you think you are? I _died_ that day.” Jensen gave the Man in Black a brutal shove. His eyes opened wide as his captor lost his footing and went over the edge, tumbling down the long, grassy embankment.

“Aaasssss…..yooouuuu…..wiiisshh….” the man called out as he fell.

The world felt like it shifted under his feet when Jensen heard those all too familiar words. “Jared?” he mouthed as he watched the Man in Black roll down the hill, his mask coming off as he continued to fall, releasing the long, brown hair which had been hidden by it. _Holy shit!_

Jensen started to run down the hill after the man, but it was too steep and his feet tripped up, causing him to stumble down as well. He yelled as he tumbled and rolled. When he finally came to a stop on his back, Jensen had to keep his eyes closed for a moment; he felt like he was going to be sick…not just because the world still felt like it was spinning, but because…this man was Jared? _Could he really be back from the dead?_

Jensen finally opened his eyes to the soft touch of fingers smoothing over his cheek. The first thing he saw were the familiar hazel eyes he knew from so long ago. _Why hadn’t he noticed them before, even behind the mask?_

“Y’okay, Babe?” Jared gave a guilty smile, but worry reflected in his eyes. It was a long damn fall from the top and he was sure Jensen was hurting; he knew _he_ was.

Jensen sat up and wrapped his arms tightly around the man…and he cried tears of happiness. “Jared. Oh, god, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I told you I’d come back for you. Why didn’t you wait for me?”

“I thought you were dead. The letter…”

“Never. I was just delayed. I’m so sorry.” Jared pulled out of his lover’s embrace and took Jensen’s face between his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. The man had aged some, but he was even more handsome than he remembered. Jared leaned forward and kissed him.

Heat shot through Jensen’s body like lightning. It was like fire melting the ice that had settled in his broken soul so long ago. He kissed as if there were no tomorrow, threading his fingers desperately through Jared’s long hair and holding him tight. Jared was back and _nothing_ was going to take him away again.

When they separated, they rested their foreheads together, taking in gasping breaths of air. Then Jensen let his head fall to his love’s shoulder and just held the man, breathing in the unique smell that was Jared and just letting himself take it all in.

Jensen felt so small up against the younger man now. Saying Jared had filled out was a bit of an understatement. He had obviously hit a growth spurt over the last five years and was now several inches taller than himself. And the muscles... Jensen felt his pants tighten as he thought about what the man looked like under his clothing now. He coughed, trying to hide the soft groan of lust that made its way out of his throat.

Jared sat back and looked at Jensen. “There’s so much to catch up on, but we need to keep moving. Your creep of a fiancé won’t take long to find us. We’ll have to throw him off our trail for as long as we can. But first, let me see this…” He lifted the blood-stained corner of Jensen’s shirt and inspected his lover’s wound. It was bleeding again, more than likely from the fall, but it didn’t look too bad. “I think you’ll be okay; it’s more of a flesh wound than anything.” He stood up and pulled Jensen to his feet. “C’mon. We need to go.”

They ran until they found a shallow river and turned to follow its meandering path through the countryside. It would be enough to confuse the prince for a while as long as they stuck to the water. When evening fell, and they finally could run no more, Jared led Jensen off into the trees. They searched for a bit until a secure enough place could be found.

“This will have to do,” Jared said as they stopped in a small copse of trees. “His Highness won’t be able to track us too well in the dark. We should be good until the morning.”

Jensen sat down and leaned back against a tree. His feet were killing him and he started to unbuckle his riding boots. They’d been on for a couple of days straight now and his feet needed to breath. He sighed as he yanked them off, one by one, and set them aside, stretching his toes as he did so.

“Don’t stop there,” he heard Jared say and looked up at the man.

“What?” He frowned, confused.

“You’ve still got your shirt and pants on. Keep going.” Jared smirked.

 _Oh._ Jensen thought the man looked like a god standing there under the moonlight, dressed all in black as he was. Surprisingly, the color suited Jared quite well. His cock twitched at the thought of being taken out here in the wild by Jared, a man – his lover – whom he thought had died so long ago.

It took longer than it should have to unlace his shirt, fingers trembling and all, but Jensen finally got it undone and pulled it over his head. Then he worked on his pants and had them off soon thereafter. When he finished stripping, he looked up at Jared and swallowed. The man had divested himself of his own clothing and Jensen let his eyes roam over his lover’s well-built form. He licked his lips as his gaze wandered over the defined muscles, starting from his broad shoulders and strong arms and continuing down over his sun-kissed chest and abs. Jensen’s eyes stopped when they landed on Jared’s swollen arousal. It bobbed up against the man’s stomach and, well, that may have grown a little, too, since he had last seen it.

The older man blushed when he realized he was staring and looked up at Jared. “Well, I do have to say, you’ve grown up into quite the man over the last few years.”

Jared grinned, knowing exactly what Jensen was referring to. “And you’re just as beautiful as ever, Jen,” he said as he kneeled down onto the ground and met his lover in a kiss.

As their lips met, Jared’s long fingers trailed up Jensen’s chest until they came in contact with the man’s necklace; they wrapped around the charm hanging at the end of the cord. He broke away from their kiss and looked down. “You still wear it.” He smiled.

“It means a lot to me,” Jensen replied quietly, thinking of all the things that had happened since receiving the gift. He was caught off-guard when Jared was suddenly upon him again.

Wet kisses were rained over every inch of Jensen, setting his skin ablaze…from his shoulders, over his chest, tickling across his stomach, down one thigh and up the other. Soft lips caressed the length of his arousal, and then brushed back up to his neck where little love bites were given, only to be soothed away a moment later with a flick of Jared’s tongue. The younger man made Jensen writhe under his touch as he kissed him and marked him.

And for the first time in years, Jensen truly laughed when Jared surprised him by lifting him easily and resituated their bodies so that Jensen was straddling him. He felt the man’s fingers digging into the firm flesh of his ass and couldn’t suppress his moan as Jared sucked a nipple until it peaked and then nipped at it, only to move over to the other to repeat the process. A hand moved up and wrapped around the back of his head and their lips met once more.

Not only had Jared grown physically, but the way he kissed and handled Jensen was different, too, more dominant, and Jensen found himself easily submitting to the man. He shifted and their heated flesh met, sliding together. “Oh, god, Jared,” he whispered into the kiss. “Take me, please.”

Jensen suddenly found Jared’s fingers at his mouth. “Wet them, Jen. It’s been a while. Don’t wanna hurt you.” Sucking the digits into his mouth, Jensen groaned from the knowledge that his lover was going to spread him open soon. Jared was right; it had been a while. _Almost_ _five damn years._ The first few because he was waiting for Jared and after Jared’s ‘death’, well, as Jensen said earlier, he had died that day as well. Sex hadn’t even been a thought, not really, no matter how much Misha would have liked to think it was.

Jared started with one finger, gently slipping it into the heat of his lover. Jensen gasped, biting into his shoulder. It was like their first time all over again.

“Babe?” Jared stilled the slip-slide of his finger and looked at Jensen, waiting to make sure the man was alright.

“Yeah, I’m good.” The answer was whispered between breaths into Jared’s ear. “Fuck, just don’t stop.” Jensen rocked down onto Jared’s finger and sighed as a second entered him a few moments later. “Fuck, yeah.” He kissed up the side of Jared’s neck and then laved along the man’s stubbled jawline until his tongue found the pursed lips of his lover. He pushed in and Jared’s tongue met him halfway. The man sucked his tongue into his mouth and Jensen groaned as they kissed. And then a third finger joined the first two, making Jensen break the kiss and rock back; he felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t get Jared’s cock up there soon. “Jared… Oh, god. Just take me. I want you to break me apart and make me whole again. Please…”

Jared fucked into Jensen with his fingers a little while longer, stretching him and making sure he was good and ready, and then he slipped them out of the tight, slick heat of his lover’s hole. He spit in his hand and stroked his throbbing flesh until he was good and wet. Jared stared into Jensen’s darkened eyes as the man lifted himself up and came down slowly, impaling himself on his cock. The younger man clenched his jaw as he tried to keep from coming just from the look of ecstasy on Jensen’s face alone.

Jared looked down and watched as his dick slowly disappeared up into his lover, still in awe that they were doing this again after so long. He’d almost lost all hope of ever having this again when he’d heard about the royal engagement not too long ago. “Jen…,” he breathed out raggedly, “you’re so fucking tight. Jesus. I can’t believe you waited for me this whole time. That’s so…hot.” The younger man glanced up when Jensen made his reply.

“Yours, remember?” Jensen barely managed to get the words out as he took his time seating himself on Jared’s rigid member. He inched down carefully, allowing his body to adjust to the stretch and burn as the man’s cock filled him. All that escaped from his lips as he sank down further was a deep, lustful moan. He dug his nails into Jared’s thick biceps as he moved, sheathing the man’s full length in his slick channel. Finally, his ass met Jared’s groin and he groaned.

After giving his body a second to relax, Jensen lifted slightly and came back down. Jared met the movement with a gentle thrust. A few more times and then they picked up the pace, building up to a steady rhythm. Jensen leaned forward, fingers gripping Jared’s shoulders tightly as he rode him, crying out every time the man slid over his prostate. His aching flesh was trapped between them and the friction was ever so gradually sending him over the edge.

“Fuck, Jared!” Jensen felt a tingle in his toes which slowly made its way up through his body. Heat pooled down in his groin and he threw his head back as he came all over Jared’s belly and chest. He fell forward and let his head rest in the crook of the man’s shoulder, panting heavily.

Jared felt Jensen’s muscles clamp down on him and that was all it took. He came calling out Jensen’s name into the darkness of the forest, chest heaving as he sucked in the cool night air. So long... It had been so long since they had this together.

Neither moved. They just lay there in one another’s arms, breathing, thankful to have found each other again. There was so much time to be made up for.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Just before the sun broke over the horizon, they headed out. Jared was angling for the shoreline. If they could make it there, he and Jensen could sail away and find a new life somewhere, somewhere away from Prince Misha and all the politics that were involved with the man.

They were still several miles away from the coastline when the sound of horses came from behind them.

When the animals came into view, Jared could clearly see it was the prince and his guard. “Dammit! It’s him. Move!” He grabbed Jensen’s arm and they began to run.

Jensen looked over his shoulder and saw the horses following them. His heart sank. If Misha caught up with them, there was no telling what would happen. “But there’s nowhere to go, Jared. We can’t outrun them.”

“There is one place they won’t follow.” And then he suddenly changed direction heading towards a dense forest.

A few minutes later, Jensen realized where they were headed and pulled out of Jared’s grasp. “Oh, hell no. I’m not going in there.” The fire swamp was directly in front of them. Jensen had heard too many rumors about the evil things residing in the dark shadows of those trees.

“C’mon, Jen. We’ll be fine. It’s safer in there than out here. I won’t let anything happen to us. I promise.”

Jensen glanced behind them; the look of sheer fury on Misha’s face was unmistakable as the man and his guard rode ever closer. When he felt another tug on his arm, Jensen gave in and followed, trusting that the younger man would keep his word.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Eerie calls from the swamp’s wildlife sounded through the air, causing Jensen to tighten his grip on Jared as the two men forged a path through the tangle of trees and snarled brush. The gnarled branches felt like bony fingers clawing at their feet and legs, snagging on their clothes, and scratching at their faces. The place was dark and full of living shadows, even in the daylight.

“It’s not so bad, see?” Jared glanced at Jensen and the man just gave him a look. “Well, I’m not saying I’d like to live here, but the trees are…really quite unique.”

“Yeah, if you like that kind of thing.” Jensen eyed the trees. They were ancient, twisted things with vines and moss clinging to them.

Suddenly, a ‘ _pop, pop, pop’_ reverberated through the ground at their feet and a flame shot up, catching Jensen’s pant leg on fire.

“Shit!” he hollered, crouching down and trying to bat the flame away. Jared came to his rescue, putting the fire out within seconds.

“Well, that was interesting.” The younger man smiled as he stood back up. Jensen only scowled at him.

“Let’s see if you say that when your leg gets burnt.” Jensen eyed the ground and their surroundings, wary of what else might come out and attack them.

“Cheer up, Jen. We’re together and that’s all that matters now. My ship, the Revenge, is docked just at the shore. Once we get through this, it’ll be smooth sailing…no pun intended.” He grinned as he used his sword to slice through a few vines which were hanging in their path. “So, I’m sure you’re probably curious to hear what’s happened over the last few years.”

“To put it mildly,” Jensen replied as he continued to eye the deep shadows of the swamp. He felt bad for coming off with an attitude, but this place really made him uneasy and he just wanted out.

“Well, as you’ve somehow figured out, I’m Roberts.”

“But Jared, how is that even possible? Roberts has been around for what, twenty years? You’ve only been gone for five, three of which you were accounted for.”

“Well, our ship _was_ taken as you were told. After I was brought aboard the Revenge is when it got interesting. You see, I was telling you the truth earlier about saying ‘please’. When I told Roberts of our true love for one another, it intrigued him. He decided not to kill me, for that moment anyway. He said, ‘Jared, I’ve never had a valet. You can try it if you like, but I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.’ He said that for almost two years, ‘Good night, Jared. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.’ I learned a lot during that time…fencing, fighting, anything anyone was willing to teach me. Roberts and I actually became good friends. And then it happened.”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“Roberts had grown so rich that he decided he wanted to retire. He had me come to his cabin one night and told me the secret. ‘Jared, I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts,’ he said, ‘my name is Ryar. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will from me. The man I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Roberts either – his name was Cumberbun.’ Come to find out, the real Roberts had been retired fifteen years and was living like a king in Patagonia. Then he explained how the name was important for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the ‘Dread Pirate Jared’. So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew and he stayed aboard for a while as first mate, all the time calling me Roberts. Once the crew believed, he left the ship and I have been Roberts ever since. Except now that we’re together, I will retire and hand the name over to someone else. That’s unless you want to join me at sea; it could be fun. Just so you know, I’ve never killed anyone…well, except for Vizzini back there…and maybe a few others, but that was in self-defense.”

As Jared wrapped up his brief explanation of the last couple of years and how he took on his current role, he glanced over at Jensen only to see him vanish into a pit of sand. _Fuck!_

Jared swiftly looked around and cut one of the great looping vines hanging from a nearby tree. He grasped it tightly, took a deep breath, and dove into the sand.

Minutes passed and the swamp was silent.

And then with great gulping breaths, Jared climbed out with Jensen clinging to his shoulders. They pulled themselves up and out of the sand and lay there, gasping for air.

“Jared, dammit, we’re never going to make it out of here,” Jensen said between ragged breaths; the coughing from the sand he’d inhaled was making it somewhat difficult to catch his breath.

“What? Hey,” Jared brushed sand off of Jensen’s face and cupped his cheek, “Remember, there are three known terrors of the fire swamp. You’ve got the flame spurt – we can figure those out just by the sound they make; you’ve got the lightning sand, which you decided to find all on your own – we know what that looks like now, thank you very much.”

“And the R.O.U.S.s?” Jensen asked, his voice hoarse from coughing and hacking. He got up and began to dust the sand from his clothes and looked over at Jared who was doing the same.

“The Rodents of Unusual Size?” Jared smiled at that. “Nah, I don’t think they’re real.” The words were no sooner out of his mouth than one of the said creatures jumped out of the shadows and lunged at him, sharp teeth embedding themselves into his shoulder. He cried out as he fought and struggled with the creature.

“Jared!” Jensen yelled as he picked up a large branch from the ground and tried to get the huge rat to let go of the man. He lifted the branch and swung it with force at the beast’s head, causing it to release its hold.

The rodent was a bit dazed from the hit and stumbled as it tried to get away. All of a sudden, a ‘ _pop, pop, pop’_ sounded and a flame lit up under the creature causing it to scream out in pain. The flame faltered and died out, but the rat was still alive and burning. Jared heaved himself up to his feet and stabbed it several times, putting it out of its misery.

When the whole scene was over, Jensen looked at Jared’s shoulder; it was bleeding badly. “Jesus, Jared, you still think going this route was such a fantastic idea?” he scolded as he tore a strip of his shirt off. He wrapped it under Jared’s arm and around his shoulder, tying it off to help staunch the flow of blood. Jared grimaced as the material cinched tightly around the wound. “That thing could’ve just killed you.”

“Jen, I’m doing my best under the circumstances. Give me some credit here.”

Jensen felt guilty. Jared _was_ doing his best. “I know. Sorry about that. It’s just…this place. It gives me the creeps.” He stepped over and wrapped his arms around the man.

“I know.” Jared kissed the top of Jensen’s head and then looked off into the trees ahead of them. “We’re almost out. Just a little further, alright?” He felt the man nod against his chest.

Ten minutes later, they broke clear of the line of trees. Unfortunately, the prince and his guard were already waiting for them. “Surrender!” Prince Misha commanded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, for those of you who are very familiar with the movie, you'll notice I left the conversation between Vizzini and the Man in Black during the Battle of Wits almost identical to that of the movie, as well as the conversation in the fire swamp about what's happened over the last couple of years. There was just no changing them. Sooo, as mentioned before, all credit goes to Goldman and 20th Century Fox for those wonderful lines.
> 
> **************************
> 
> Thank you so much again for reading!
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments... And thank you again for reading :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING - This chapter has a graphic depiction of the rape of a minor (I didn't set out to do this; it sorta just happened). I flagged it for those of you who may want to skip that section. I felt I had to explain something hinted upon earlier. Forgive me, because I don't normally write dark stuff like that.

“You surrender?” Jared gave the six guards forming a half-circle around him and Jensen a cursory glance, taking notice that they were armed with both swords and crossbows, and then he looked at the prince. “If that’s the case, then I suggest you call your men off and have them drop their weapons.” Jared continued to hold a defensive posture, keeping his sword between the men and themselves.

Jensen looked at Jared. _Had his lover completely lost his mind?_ When he looked at Misha, he saw the man frown for a second before his mouth twitched and the prince began to laugh.

“Ha! You had me going there for a minute.” And then he turned quite serious. “I suggest you drop _your_ sword before my men make you.” His steel blue eyes darkened with the threat and his hands tightened on his reins. His horse must have sensed its rider’s ire because it started to get antsy under him.

Jared took a step back, moving Jensen in close behind him. “Sorry, but that’s not gonna happen. I didn’t get us through the fire swamp just to give up to you. I could happily take your fiancé and disappear in there for quite some time. You could come look for him if you’re daring enough,” Jared challenged as he took another step back, “but something tells me that you aren’t.”

The prince looked taken aback by Jared’s insult. He made a small gesture to his guards and they moved in, completely surrounding the two men, their crossbows now raised and aimed steadily at Jared. “You know what? I would take you up on your considerate offer; it would be a grand game, indeed, to hunt you down,” Misha smiled, “but I think my _fiancé_ has had enough excitement for the last couple of days. Haven’t you, angel?” He tilted his head to peer at Jensen over the Man in Black’s shoulder.

Jensen didn’t say anything, but Jared felt the man’s grip on his gloved hand tighten; Jared stood his ground even if it seemed they were at an impasse. “No, I think I’d rather keep your fiancé right where he is, if you don’t mind.”

Misha pressed his lips into a fine line and huffed out an irritated breath through his nose. “I have no time for your petty games. Surrender!”

“Never,” Jared yelled back in defiance, continuing to hold his sword up.

The prince grinned and shook his head in disbelief. He looked at Count Rugen who was sitting next to him. “You know, I could use a man like this on our side. It’s too bad we’ll have to kill him when this is over with.” He looked back at Jared then. “For the last time, and I will say it nicely, _surrender_.”

“Death first!” Jared set his jaw firmly and held his ground.

Jensen gripped Jared’s wrist tightly and whispered over his shoulder to him. “Don’t,” he pleaded, knowing Misha wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if provoked enough. The prince saw Jared only as a threat to Jensen’s well-being; the man didn’t know who he was.

Jared risked a glance at Jensen and saw fear and sadness in his lover’s face. And then he watched as Jensen stepped out from behind him and looked at the prince. “What’ll you do if he surrenders? Will you promise not to hurt him?”

Jared and Prince Misha responded to Jensen’s quite unexpected words at the same time.

“Jen!” Jared’s jaw dropped as he stared at the man. “No.”

“What?” Prince Misha looked confused at the request.

Jensen looked at Jared and quietly said, “I can’t lose you again. I thought you were dead once and it nearly killed me. I won’t have you die again, not if I can stop it.” He looked to the prince again. “If he surrenders, do you promise not to hurt him? He is a sailor on the pirate ship Revenge. Swear to me you’ll return him to his ship.”

The prince looked from Jensen to Jared and back; he said nothing for a moment, and then, “You have my word.” He leaned over in his saddle towards the count and whispered, “Once we leave, take him back to Florin and throw him into the Pit of Despair. You can do whatever you want with him.”

“Yes, My Lord. Thank you,” the count replied with a cruel grin of anticipation.

The guards pressed in between Jared and Jensen, separating them from one another. A tear rolled down Jensen’s cheek as he climbed up into the saddle behind the prince. He looked down at his lover, his watery eyes full of heartache and sorrow. “I’m sorry.” And then silently he mouthed, “I love you.”

Jared watched his true love disappear into the trees, his mind still trying to grasp what had just happened. When he looked at the count, he saw the man smile crookedly.

“Come then, let us return you to your ship, sir.” He made a quick gesture to the guards surrounding the tall man and they moved in at once.

Jared grinned and shook his head as his sword was taken away by one of the guards. “Don’t feed me that line of crap; I’m not stupid. We are men of action, lies do not become us.”

Rugen raised his eyebrows and he nodded. “Well spoken, _Jared_.”

“So you know who I am, then,” Jared stated as he was being forced down to his knees. Knowing he was outnumbered and at the count’s mercy, he didn’t try to resist.

“I do, as does the prince” was all the count offered up.

For some reason Jared didn’t find himself in the least bit surprised at that. He had known the prince was an intelligent man and did his research; the bastard probably knew everything about him and Jensen.

As he kneeled there, feeling his wrists being tightly bound behind him, Jared noticed something unusual. “You have six fingers on your right hand. I know someone who was looking for you.”

The count clenched his hand into a tight fist and then made direct eye contact with one of the guards, giving a silent command.

Jared felt something connect solidly with the back of his head and he fell to the ground, darkness surrounding him.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

When Jared awoke, he found himself strapped down to some kind of table. His shirt had been removed and a short, stocky albino was washing out the wound on his shoulder.

“Where am I?” he asked, wincing as the stinging salve leached into his bloody shoulder.

“The Pit of Despair,” answered the man in a very raspy voice. He turned then, coughing and hacking, and then spit on the floor, causing Jared to scrunch up his face in disgust. Then in a deeper, more normal voice the albino said, “Don’t even think about escaping. Only me, the count, and the prince know how to get in or out of this place.”

“So what you’re telling me is that I’m stuck down here pretty much until I die.” The man nodded. “Then why are you bothering?” Jared gestured to his shoulder when his chin.

“Our prince and the count like their victims to be healthy before they break them.”

Jared rolled his eyes. Great. “Torture?” Another nod, but a happy one this time. _Fucking sadists._ “Well, I hate to disappoint them, but I don’t _break_ that easily.” He didn’t think anything could compare to what he’d already been through when he was younger…

 

**< << WARNING - GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THE RAPE OF A MINOR ....SKIP DOWN IF THIS BOTHERS YOU >>>**

 

_It was late winter and Jared was just fourteen when he met the man. The promise of a roof over his head and a warm plate of food was too much to refuse and he entered the house without giving it much thought. Little did he know, once the door clicked shut behind him, it would be the last time he saw daylight for a very long time._

Flashes of Jared’s past came to mind, unbidden…

_The first time was the worst. His pleading cries filled the silent room as he tried to hold himself up on hands and knees, body shaking and trembling, nails digging into the thin mattress in the dark basement. He had nowhere to go as he was held down against his will; his breath was knocked out of him with each and every merciless thrust. It had taken forever to heal from it. And that had only been the beginning._

_The man came to him often, taking advantage of the young boy, forcing things on him that no person should ever have to endure, let alone a child. And the more Jared struggled and cried, the more the man seemed to enjoy it…the sick bastard. Jared learned early on to just keep his mouth shut and let it happen. If he concentrated hard enough, he could take himself away, let his mind go to better places; he would never let the man have his mind._

_But there were nights when Jared had had enough, when he fought back. He was fully aware of the fact that the man could easily overpower him, but it didn’t stop him from trying. Even as he put up a fight, he knew in the back of his mind that he would be severely punished for it – How dare he resist and defy?_

_First it was fists, and then the leather belt and the switches; canes followed later. Jared would be bound through it all, helpless and crying. Eventually, he would fall silent. Only then would the man would let him down and toss some rancid food to him, calling him a dog, telling him what a good ‘fuck’ he was. When he was finally left alone, Jared would crawl into the furthest corner, battered and bleeding, wishing there was some way out…death possibly. Most nights he would fall asleep thinking of his mother’s love._

_And the next day – or maybe the man would skip a day and Jared would count himself lucky – it would start all over again._

_One night, the man stumbled down the stairs for another one of their fuck sessions, but he screwed up this time; he came to the boy after a long evening of overindulgence at the tavern. Jared could smell the foul taint on his breath as the man panted over his shoulder, thrusting deeply into him. The boy twisted out from under the man, knocking him to the floor; he heard the man’s head crack against the unyielding stone wall as he fell. It was his chance to run. He gathered up his threadbare clothing and dressed hurriedly. But when he was done, the young boy couldn’t just leave. Jared wanted vengeance…craved it, even. He stared at the unconscious man lying on the floor; something dangerous crossed his once youthful features and he moved forward._

_Several hours later, Jared left the house for the first time months. (He would find out afterward that it had been eight months, although he felt as if he’d aged well more than that down in that dank hole, a whole hell of a lot more than that.) He smirked as he looked down at his blood-stained hands, knowing the man would never have the chance to hurt someone again._

**_< << END OF WARNING >>>_ **

Jared pulled himself out of the reveries of his past. So, yeah, he could survive whatever torture the count and the prince had in store for him. Nothing could be worse than what he’d already endured all those years ago.

“That’s what they all say, but _no one_ withstands the machine,” the albino replied.

Jared didn’t have anything to say to that as he lay there and closed his eyes. The man sounded pretty damn sure of his words. _Wonder-fucking-ful._

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Three days had gone by since Jensen had let Jared go. At the time, he thought it was the right thing to do, but now…he wasn’t so sure.

 _Did Jared hate him for what he did?_ The little bit he had seen of Jared showed Jensen that the younger man may have changed over the years, grown into a stronger person in both body and mind, but the cruel words he had spoken just before Jensen had pushed him down the hill had cut deep, even before he knew it had been Jared’s lips they had fallen from. From Jared’s point of view, Jensen had chosen Misha over him…twice.

Jensen found himself aimlessly wandering the long and lonely halls of the palace. For the most part, he didn’t even realize he was doing it, as deep in thought as he was. As he came upon Misha’s study, he found the man in there with the count. From Jensen’s brief glimpse into the room as he passed the doorway, he saw that they were once again pouring over maps of the region, preparing for the war that Misha was so sure was going to happen.

Misha had obviously seen him pass because he heard the man say, “Jensen’s been like that since the fire swamp. I think it’s due to my father’s failing health.”

He wasn’t sure how much Misha understood about what had happened outside the fire swamp. If the man knew anything, he hadn’t commented on it. He never once asked Jensen about what had happened that day or the preceding days after his kidnapping.

Jensen kept walking in silence, lost in his own thoughts.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Six days later Jensen and Misha said their vows.

Jensen was standing next to his husband in the crowded square, feeling just a little uncomfortable with the weight of his crown on his head. He stood quietly next to the newly appointed King Misha as he spoke to the crowd. (Sadly, Misha’s father had passed away the previous evening.)

“My father’s final words were, ‘Love him and cherish him and there will be joy.’ I present to you my new husband, Jensen.”

“Boo! Boo! Boo!”

Jensen looked to see a hideous old woman separating herself from the crowd.

“Boo!”

Jensen was growing more and more upset each time the word was spewed from her cracked and dry lips. If it wasn’t bad enough that he had just married a man whom he did not have any affection for, now he had this? “Why are you doing this?”

She stepped up to Jensen and looked him in the eye, pointing a long, crooked finger at him; her tangled grey hair spilled over her face as she spoke. “Because you had love in your hands and you gave it up!”

Jensen swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “They would have killed him if I didn’t.”

“Your true love lives and yet you marry another?” And then to the crowd around them she said, “His true love saved him and he treated him like garbage. And that’s what he is, the Prince of Refuse. So bow down to him if you want. Bow to him. Bow to the Earl of Slime, the Duke of Filth, the King of Putrescence. Boo! Boo! Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! Boo!”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen sat up in bed, chest heaving from the nightmare. He ran his hands up over his face and through his hair; they were shaking, he realized. What he was doing was so utterly wrong. He loved Jared. Why did he ever think he could marry Misha once he knew the man was still alive? The wedding had to be called off.

His legs were tangled in the sheets and Jensen almost fell on his face when he tried to get out of bed too quickly. After he managed to get up without killing himself, he found some clothes and got dressed. Misha would be up; the man was always up doing one thing or another. He had to inform the prince of his decision.

Jensen checked Misha’s private rooms first being that they were just down the hall from his own. Silk curtains fluttered in the breeze when he opened the door, but that was the only movement to catch his eye in the still room. Misha’s portrait stared down at him from the wall and he tried to ignore it as he swept the various rooms of the suite. _Why anyone would want something like that…_ The small, private study and the man’s bedroom were equally silent and empty. Once Jensen was sure Misha wasn’t there, he left, heading to the only other place the man would be at this hour…his study (or as Jensen recently started to think of it as, his war room). He left the rooms behind and made his way to the distant wing of the palace.

As he came around the corner and stepped through the door, the prince and Count Rugen looked up from the pile of reports that were strewn across the oversized desk.

“Jensen-”

“Misha,” Jensen glanced at the count and then back to the prince. “I’m sorry, but I need the wedding called off. I can’t marry you.” He took a deep, calming breath; his stomach was in knots, not knowing how the man was going to react to his next words. “I love someone else. I always have and I always will. Please. If you don’t let me go, I…” Jensen swallowed and then rubbed at the nape of his neck with a trembling hand, “I will be dead by the morning. I just…” He stopped, realizing what he had just said. _Wow. Where had that come from?_ But Jensen didn’t rescind on the statement. It was possible he just might make good on that threat.

Prince Misha stood silent, his facial expression pensive as he looked down at the desk in front of him. After a moment, he shifted his weight; his clear blue eyes almost looked saddened when he looked back up, causing Jensen to feel even worse for breaking the news. “Then consider the wedding off if that’s what you want. I would never force you into marriage. I care too deeply for you.” Misha looked at the count who was sitting across the desk from him. “You’ve returned _Jared_ to his ship, have you not?”

Jensen’s eyes snapped up then; he saw the prince glance at him, the edge of a smile on his lips, as he waited for Rugen to reply. _Misha had known all along who Jared was?_ Not once had Jensen ever mentioned his love’s name to the prince, but he _knew_. How much did the man know about them?

“I have,” Rugen said with a hint of something Jensen didn’t quite pick up on.

“Then we will send word to him,” Misha said as if nothing was amiss. “Jensen, are you sure he hasn’t changed his mind after you left him the way you did? It _was_ a little cruel, don’t you think? You might have pissed him off some.” The prince watched for Jensen’s reaction, knowing his words were sure to bother the man. Sometimes the truth hurt. “And you know, pirates aren’t exactly known for their forgiveness,” he added.

Jensen chewed on his lip. He didn’t need to be reminded of what had happened. But Jared would come for him; he had to. The prince stood there, waiting patiently for his response. “He’ll come for me. He loves me.”

“Okay, well,” Misha came out from behind his desk, stopping in front of Jensen, “if you’re sure, here’s what we’ll do. Write four copies of a letter to Jared – you best really pour your heart and soul into it, I should think – and then I will send my four fastest ships to find him. He’s usually close to Florin at this time of year, right?” He looked to Rugen for confirmation and the man nodded. “When we find his ship, we’ll send up the white flag and deliver the letter to him. If the man still wants you, you have my blessing, but if he doesn’t, please keep yourself open to the option of becoming my husband. You are much too beautiful of a person to take his own life. Can we at least agree to that?” He smiled and his eyes sparkled as he reached up and laid a light hand on Jensen’s arm. “Please. I can’t be all that bad.”

Jensen dropped his eyes to the floor. Could he live if Jared refused him? Marrying Misha would be a fitting punishment for what he’d done. Really, Jared had been willing to risk his life for Jensen just a few short days ago, and look at how he’d treated him. “Yeah, alright,” he whispered.

Without looking at the prince again, Jensen turned and left the room. He didn’t have much time to figure out how to put his feelings for Jared into words. _How do you go about telling someone that you still love them when you left them to marry another?_ He knew the letter was going to be anything but brief.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

_That evening in a grove of trees…_

“Your fiancé is quite a beautiful, young man if I do say so myself...even if he is a simple commoner. Strong-willed, too. Do you think you can handle him?” Count Rugen glanced over at the prince as he slid his hands over the knots of an old tree growing near the center of the grove.

“Jensen is quite the find, isn’t he? But I don’t have any worries; he easily bends to my will.” Misha grinned then. “You should see what he’s like in the bedroom. He’s such a needy one and seems to enjoy it when-”

The count looked over at his friend, taking his concentration off the tree. “You haven’t…you know, have you?”

“Of course not, not until our wedding night, but that’s not saying I wouldn’t like to.” Misha smirked as he leaned up against the tree Rugen was practically fondling and picked at a thumbnail.

“The people are quite taken by him, too. He’s made a rather curious habit of mingling with the public. Jensen doesn’t even realize it, but that makes my job easier. You know, I nearly had to give myself a pat on the back when I came up with the idea to have Vizzini murder him and leave him on the border of Guilder for all to find. Now that that plan has been _ruined,_ I find myself looking forward to murdering him myself on our wedding night…but only after he learns what it’s like to be my husband.” Misha laughed a little too comfortably at the thought as he swept his unruly hair back off his forehead, eyes practically glowing as he continued on about his scheme. “Guilder will be blamed and our people will be in an uproar because of it. I won’t even have to suggest war; they’ll demand it. Now how much better can that get? No one will even think to suggest I had anything to do with it.”

“It sounds like a grand plan, My Lord. – Now if only I could find-” Finally, a knot in the tree slipped forward and a secret door swung wide. “Ah ha! That thing is always so hard to find.” Rugen glanced at Misha. “Are you coming down? Jared is finally ready. I’ll be starting him on the machine this evening.”

“Tyrone, my old friend, I’m gonna have to let you handle this one tonight, even though I’d really enjoy hearing that man scream because of the mess he’s created. I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my husband to murder, and Guilder to frame for it, and I’ve got less than a week to get it all done. My schedule is full. But have fun. Jared seems like he’ll be able to put up quite the fight. Give him my regards.”

“That I will do. Go get some rest. I’ll report to you tomorrow,” Rugen said as he stepped into the wide trunk of the tree and descended into the Pit of Despair.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared rolled his eyes toward the sound of someone descending into the room. He was guessing he’d been in this place for near on three days, maybe four. The albino had been feeding him some kind of nasty tasting gruel and providing him with water to keep him going. The man had also taken care of Jared’s other needs no matter how embarrassing they might be.

The footsteps he heard were new, not the heavy, slow shuffle of the albino. When the newcomer came into view, Jared felt his heart rate jump. Count Rugen. Unless the prince got his own hands dirty torturing people, which he didn’t think was very likely, the count had arrived to start what Jared had been brought here for.

“So, Jared… What do you think of my machine? It’s a work of art, isn’t it?” Rugen smiled at him as he tested the straps that were holding the man down, making sure they were secure.

Jared couldn’t reply because of the strip of leather that was cinched between his teeth; it held his head in place as well. He could only continue to track the man’s movements with his eyes.

“I’m writing a book on it, so please, if you are still capable, let me know how you feel when we are done.”

_Fuck, really?_

Jared watched silently as the count stepped around the table, checking the large suction cups which were positioned over his bare chest. When the man appeared satisfied, he moved over to the end of the table near his feet.

“We’ll keep it on the lowest setting since this is your first time.”

Jared’s wide, hazel eyes followed the count’s hand as it reached up and grasped a long, wooden lever. He balled his hands into fists, nails biting into his palms, partially out of fury from being so stupidly helpless and partially due to the anticipated pain. (No matter how hard Jared had tried to resist, the albino had still managed to get into his head with all the talk about the pain this machine could inflict.) He couldn’t take his eyes away as the man pulled the lever down with a loud _ka-thunk._ With that sound, Jared came to the very real realization that his life was on the line and he began to struggle in his bindings. He heard the water begin to pour in from somewhere and the gears of the machine beginning to spin. And then…

He screamed. Pain seared through every nerve ending like hellfire. It felt as if his very soul was being ripped from him. His body arched from the table and his vision blurred, and yet it continued. And then as suddenly as it had all started, it stopped. Jared lay on the hard surface, panting; sweat was pouring off his trembling body, tears were in his tightly shut eyes, and blood stained the palms of his hands.

Rugen stepped up next to him and looked down, studying his victim. He was calm as he spoke. “As you know, the concept of the suction cup is centuries old. That’s all my machine is, really…except, instead of sucking water, I’m sucking life. I’ve just sucked one year of your life away. Maybe when you get used to it, we can get it up to five, but I’m not sure what that would do to you. For now, I think we’ll keep it where it is. So…tell me, Jared, how do you feel?”

Jared’s eyes remained tightly closed…and he cried.

“Hmmm… Interesting.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Misha was in his study and looked up when his man-at-arms stepped into the room.

“You asked for me, sire?”

“Yes, Yellin. I have a job for you. And as chief enforcer of all Florin, I trust you to keep this news a secret.” The prince came around to the front of his desk and sat on the edge, propping a booted foot up onto a nearby chair. “I’ve recently received word that Guilder is planning to kill my husband on our wedding day.”

The older man looked shocked. “I have heard nothing of this. Are you sure?”

The prince was about to scold the man for questioning him, but both men were startled from their conversation when Jensen quietly entered the room.

“Jensen.” Misha stood up from his perch and went to his betrothed. “Do you need something?”

“I was just checking to see if you’ve heard from Jared.” It had been several days and Misha had said nothing to Jensen on the status of the letters that were sent out.

The prince tilted his head and smiled sympathetically. “It’s too soon, angel. Patience.” Misha took Jensen gently by the shoulder and steered him back towards the door. “Why don’t you go down to the kitchen. I hear Mathilda has made some wonderful apple pie that you might enjoy.”

Jensen ignored the offer. “He _will_ come,” he said steadfastly as he walked out the door.

“Of course, he will. Why would he have any reason not to?” Misha said the last few words to himself with a smirk and then he turned back to Yellin once he closed the door behind Jensen, not wanting to be interrupted again. “Now, as I was saying, he will _not_ be murdered. Rumor has it that our enemy has taken to posing as Florins in the forest. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take. On the day of our wedding, I want the Thieve’s Forest emptied and everyone who lives there to be arrested.”

The older man looked a little rattled at the request. “Sir, no disrespect intended, but that’s a near impossible task. They will fight us. I don’t have enough men to do as you request.”

“Then form a brute squad. I really don’t care what you do. I just want that forest emptied.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“Try ruling the world sometime.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

_Thieve’s Forest – The day of the wedding…_

 

Yellin had taken Prince Misha’s suggestion and had formed a brute squad. It had taken a better part of the morning to clear the forest, but now they were just wrapping up the stragglers, the more problematic of the bunch. The man-at-arms watched as his men loaded the prisoners into wagons.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Vizzini, I am waiting for you. You said to go back to the beginning if something happened. Well,” Inigo hiccupped as he sat sprawled out on the floor, back up against the wall, arms limp at his sides, “this is the beginning, where you found me.” Every word that left his lips was slurred and spoken too loudly. Perhaps he’d drunk just a little too much.

“Hey, you there! Get up. You’re under arrest,” a large man from the brute squad called out as he entered the ramshackle of a house Inigo had been rooming in since being beaten by the Man in Black; it was where he’d lived for the last five months before Vizzini made an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Nooo… I am waiting for Vizzini. He told me to wait. I have to wait.”

“The prince gave orders. You need to come with me.”

The man began to cross the room and, somehow, the drunken Spaniard rose up to his feet, more quickly than one would have thought for someone in his condition. He slashed out at the brute with his sword, causing the man to jump back. “I said, no! I am waiting for Vizzini,” he growled as he stood there, swaying unsteadily, sword held up in front of him.

The brute looked over Inigo’s shoulder to where another man had just stepped through the back door. “You, brute, come over here and help me with this troublemaker. Watch out for the damn sword though.”

A large hand took a hold of the back of Inigo’s shirt, keeping him from collapsing back to the floor where it looked like he would surely go within seconds. The drunken man looked over at the hand on his shoulder and his eyes followed the arm it was attached to, all the way up to its owner’s face. He was surprised to see that is was his old friend Fezzik.

The giant man smiled and simply said, “Hello there.” And then Fezzik looked at the man who had come to collect Inigo and punched him, knocking him out cold.

“Fezzik,” was all Inigo got out before his legs turned to rubber and gave out, the only reason he wasn’t on the floor being that the giant was still holding onto him. He made no comment about the unconscious brute who was now lying at his feet.

“Inigo, you don’t look so well.”

“I feel fine,” came the long, slow drawl. “I think you can let go of me now, no?” Inigo lifted his brow, waiting.

Fezzik let go and the man fell on his face.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Inigo awoke to a face full of cold water and a hand tightly fisted in the back of his long hair. He found himself on his knees in front of two half-barrels of water. The man didn’t have time to react as he was dunked into the other barrel almost immediately, this time full of hot water. When he was pulled back up, he grasped the wooden sides and gasped for air.

“Enough, Fezzik! That’s enough!” he yelled out before the man tried drowning him again.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Fezzik had gone through the cupboards and gathered the ingredients to make a basic potato and lentil soup as Inigo sat battling his hangover at the table. While the pot simmered at the hearth, he had taken the time to fill the Spaniard in on everything that had gone on over the last week.

“So, Vizzini is dead and Count Rugen is the six-fingered man. Interesting.” Inigo had been a bit surprised at how much information his friend had gathered since they’d been separated; the man wasn’t as ‘simple’ as he seemed. Vizzini was no loss, but Rugen… _That_ was unexpected news. He sat back and began to tap his fingers on the wooden table. The Spaniard was starting to feel the rush of adrenaline and was becoming fidgety; his father would soon be avenged.

“After all these years, and he was right there. How did I not know that?” Inigo thought out loud and shook his head. “Where is he now, do you know?”

“He is at the castle with the prince,” Fezzik replied as he placed a bowl of soup down on the table in front of the man. “But the gate is guarded.”

“How many men?” Inigo picked up his spoon and stirred the thick broth, allowing it to cool down before taking a bite.

“Oh,” Fezzik took a moment as he looked up at the ceiling, tallying up the quantity in his head, “maybe thirty.” The giant sat down with his own bowl; it looked like a tea cup in his large hand.

“How many do you think you can you handle?”

“Ten maybe. I don’t think more than that, and that’s still a lot.”

“So, twenty for me. On my best day, I could not handle so many. I could really use Vizzini’s help on this. Strategy was never my thing.”

“But he is dead.”

“I know.” Inigo sighed and began to eat. “You know, I think I’m going to find the Man in Black. He can help me.”

“What?” Fezzik fumbled with his spoon and nearly dropped it.

“Well, he bested you at strength, your greatness. He bested me with steel. He must have out-smarted Vizzini, and a man who can do that can plan my castle onslaught any day. As soon as we are done eating, we will leave.”

“But where will we go? We don’t know where he is.”

“Let’s not worry about the little things right now, Fezzik. After twenty years, my father will finally be at peace. There will be blood tonight!”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Misha looked up from where he was sharpening a dagger in his private rooms when he heard a knock at the door. “Come.”

Yellin stepped into the room. “It is done, sire. The forest has been emptied. We’ve also posted thirty guards at the gate as you asked.”

“I don’t want to take any chances. Double that number. Jensen will _not_ be harmed tonight.”

“But sir, there is but one key, and I have it.” Yellin fingered a chain around his neck, at the end of it was the key.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Time was running out and Jensen was starting to panic. The wedding was to happen _tonight_ and yet there had been no word from Jared. Since waking up, he had heard the scuffle of people moving in and out of the palace; the rich smell of foods wafted down the corridors and the servants were cheerful about the big day as they went about decorating the halls and preparing the guest rooms. And all the while Jensen paced his rooms. Just five minutes ago, the tailor had left. He was already dressed in his pre-wedding formal wear.

“Jared, where are you?” he asked out loud as he looked out the window over the crowded square. People had been arriving all day. Everyone wanted to be the first to see their prince and his new husband.

Finally, he broke down and decided to go ask Misha if there had been any word, any at all, from Jared. It had been days now. There should have been something.

The door to Misha’s room opened as Jensen was about to knock on it. He recognized Yellin, having met him on several previous occasions. The man had always seemed like a nice guy, even if he was a little stiff at times.

“Your Highness,” the man said, acknowledging him.

“Hi, Yellin. Busy day I take it?” He smiled at the friendly old-timer.

“Yes, sir, it has been.”

“Jensen,” Misha called out fondly from across the room. “Tonight we wed,” he said happily. “Yellin,” the prince called out to the man-at-arms as the man was about to leave. “Remember, tomorrow morning your men will escort us to the Florin Channel where every ship in my armada waits to accompany us on our honeymoon.”

Jensen looked at the prince. _He didn’t just hear that._ “You mean every ship except for your four fastest, right Misha?” he asked quietly, watching intently for Misha’s reaction, hoping he’d been mistaken in what he thought the man had said.

Misha looked puzzled for a moment, and then, “Yes, right.” He cleared his throat a little too guiltily. “All but my four fastest. I assumed you knew that’s what I meant.”

“Excuse me, My Lord. I will take your leave if you don’t mind.” Yellin slipped out of the room leaving Jensen and the prince there to hash out whatever was going on.

“You never sent them, did you?” Jensen stared daggers at the man in front of him. He knew Misha wasn’t always honest with him; most things he was able to overlook, but this? “You fucking asshole! You told me you would!” He snarled as he stormed across the room and grabbed the prince by his collar; anger flooded his green eyes. “You know what? He _will_ come for me. Our love is unbreakable. Jared won’t let me marry you.”

Jensen released his grip on Misha and spun around, walking several steps away. His heart was pounding behind his ribs, in his throat, in his ears. He pressed his thumb and forefinger into his closed eyelids and allowed himself to just breathe. Jensen was livid. When he turned around to look at the man again, he said, “Jared’s had you figured out for a long time. It’s too bad it took me so long to get on the same page, but now I get you, you conniving bastard!”

“You will not speak to me like that!” Misha’s eyes darkened with fury, becoming deep pools of stormy blue. He surprised Jensen when he closed in quickly and grabbed his arm, spinning him around and twisting the limb up against his back. He whispered over Jensen’s shoulder into his ear, “You _will_ marry me tonight. Of that, you have no choice; I assure you.”

Jensen struggled, but from the hold Misha had on him, if he moved just right, it felt like his arm was going to come out of its socket. “Let me go, goddammit!” he hissed in pain.

The prince forced Jensen from the room and steered him down the hallway. “You will stay in your rooms until I send someone for you. If you don’t, you will pay a high price,” he warned.

Jensen found his cheek pressed into the door as Misha worked on getting it open, and then suddenly he was thrown into the room, landing on his knees. Before he could get up, the door slammed closed and Jensen heard the deafening sound of the lock sliding into place.

“No…,” he cried as he scrambled up and tried the knob. But he knew it was pointless. He may as well be in the deepest, darkest dungeons below the castle for all the difference it would make.

Jensen kicked the door in fury and then crossed the room to sit on the bed. All he could do was wait…and hope.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Prince Misha rode quickly to the grove in the forest. He entered the Pit of Despair and strode with dire determination down the stairs. The object of his wrath lay helplessly strapped to the table at the far end of the room. Tyrone was off to the side, tinkering with his machine.

When he reached the table, Misha looked down at Jared. “I see that you truly love each other, that you could have been happy together. Love like that only happens once in a hundred years. Because of that, I think you will suffer like no other has in a hundred years.”

The prince reached up and grabbed the lever; Jared could only watch as the man yanked on it, pulling it all the way down to its furthest setting. The sound of water rushed in, sounding all too much like a raging river.

The last thing Jared heard was Rugen yelling, “No, Misha! Not fifty!”

Jared felt pain like he’d never felt before; his body twisted and spasmed as his years were torn from him; muscles bulged as they tensed and his eyes were squeezed tight, far too tight for tears to escape…and he screamed.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Fezzik, you hear that?” A distant scream echoed through the forest.

“What do you think it is?”

“The sound of ultimate suffering; I’ve heard it once before. My heart made that sound when my father died. It is the Man in Black.”

“How do you know that?”

“His true love is marrying another tonight. Who else but him would make that sound? C’mon, we must find him. Hurry!”

It took time, but they followed the sound to a grove in the forest, not too far from the palace walls. There, they came across an albino transporting supplies in a wheelbarrow.

Inigo approached the man. “Where is the Man in Black?” The man shrugged and didn’t reply, clamping his mouth tightly shut. The Spaniard looked up at Fezzik. “Do you think you may be able to jog his memory?”

Fezzik reached out and knocked the man on the head…maybe just a little more than he had meant to. The albino fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Oops.” The giant crouched down and tried to stir the man, but he wouldn’t wake up. “Sorry, Inigo. I didn’t mean to jog him so hard.” When there was no answer, he stood back up and turned around. “Inigo?” He saw the smaller man kneeling on the ground at the center of the grove, almost as if he were praying.

When Inigo was done and got back up to his feet, he held his sword out in front of him; his eyes were closed. “Father, I have failed you for twenty years. Now this misery can end. Somewhere, somewhere close by is someone who can help us. But I cannot find him alone. I need your help. I need you to guide my sword. Please, guide my sword.”

Inigo walked around the grove, keeping his eyes closed and his sword up almost as if it was a divining rod of sorts. Several minutes later, the tip of the blade stabbed into a tree and he opened his eyes. “Dammit!” He pulled the sword free and leaned against the wide trunk. Suddenly, a door opened. Inigo glanced at Fezzik, eyes wide in excitement. “I think I found out where the Man in Black is. Let’s go!”

They ran down the stairs as quickly as they could. The room below was empty, all except for the Man in Black who was still strapped to the table. He wasn’t moving.

Fezzik put his ear to the man’s still chest and listened. As he straightened up and looked at Inigo, he said. “He’s dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to comment! I love hearing from you :)
> 
> Thank you again for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

Inigo couldn’t believe how terrifyingly young the Man in Black was now that he saw him up close and without the mask. For some reason he hadn’t expected someone so innocent behind the disguise. He felt a sense of loss, too; it was odd. Maybe it was because the man had shown him more respect than anyone else had in a long time by not killing him when he had had the chance.

The Spaniard kept his thoughts to himself as he worked on unbuckling the last of the straps which were securing the stranger to the table – he had gotten Fezzik to agree to at least give the guy a proper burial – but as he was doing so, an idea occurred to him. He looked over the table at the giant. “Fezzik, do you happen to have any money?” Inigo found the Man in Black’s shirt and began to put it back on him as he waited for the giant’s answer.

“Some, why?” Fezzik had been snooping around the Pit, eying some of the count’s other ‘projects’ while Inigo was fussing over the dead man.

“I just thought of something, but I’ll need you to carry him,” he gestured at the Man in Black. “Come with me. We just might have enough to buy us a miracle,” he called back over his shoulder as he made his way across the room to the stairs.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Who lives here?” Fezzik asked when they walked up to a small wooden house on the edge of the forest.

The place was a bit unkempt with its sun-faded, green paint flaking off the walls and its shutters barely hanging on; the side yard had what was probably once a productive vegetable garden, but it was now overgrown with wildflowers and weeds. (There was currently an old horse grazing in it; it didn’t bother to acknowledge the two men walking by.) Even the dirt path to the front door looked like it wasn’t used very often.

As they approached the door, Inigo and Fezzik couldn’t tell if anyone was home; the curtains were drawn tightly over the front window and there was only silence coming from inside. Inigo prayed that the person he was looking for still lived here and was at home.

“Someone who might be able to help us.” Inigo knocked on the weather-worn door. He rocked on his heels impatiently as he waited for someone to answer.

“Go away,” a muffled voice from inside yelled without even bothering to see who was at the door.

The Spaniard bit his lip and knocked again, only harder this time. He heard someone approaching from inside and a small peek-hole in the center of the door opened up; a wrinkled, old man glared out at them over his very prominent nose. “What don’t you understand when I say go away? We’re not interested in anything you’re selling.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but are you Miracle Max, the man who used to work for the king?”

“’Used to’ are the key words. His idiot of a son fired me and thank you very kindly for reminding me of that. Why don’t you just give me a nice paper cut and pour some lemon juice on it while you’re at it,” he said bitterly. “Now scram before I call the brute squad!”

Fezzik peered around Inigo then. “I’m on the brute squad.”

Max looked the giant up and down, amazement clearly showing on his face. “You _are_ the brute squad.”

“Please, sir,” Inigo moved back into Max’s line of sight to bring his attention back to him. “We need your help. We’re in need of a miracle.”

“I don’t do that stuff anymore. I’m retired. Anyway, why would you want my help? The prince fired me. Whatever you want done, I’ll probably just screw it up and someone will end up dead.”

“But he’s already dead.”

Max narrowed his eyes and looked past Inigo to where Fezzik stood. Now he noticed the giant of a man had a limp body draped over his shoulder. He muttered something under his breath before he said, “Fine, bring him in.” The lock on the door could be heard unlatching and Max swung it open for them. Now they could see the wild mop of white hair on the man as well as how hunched over he was with age. “Put him on the table over there,” he pointed across the room to a cluttered work area; colorful glass vials of this and that were sitting on shelves, upright and fallen over; books were strewn all about, and pencils and journals covered a small desk in the corner, “and let me see what we’ve got to work with.”

Miracle Max poked and prodded at the Man in Black for what seemed like forever. “I’ve seen worse,” he commented.

Inigo interrupted Max from his slow and extensive examination of the man. “Sir, if I may, we’re in a bit of a rush here.”

“Huh?” Max glanced up; he had been lost in thought. The man who lay on the table was quite the specimen. They didn’t get too many around here who were so physically fit. He wondered what brought this one down. It was a shame to see someone so young and otherwise apparently healthy in this condition.

“We’re in a hurry. We don’t have much time,” Inigo pleaded.

“You said you were here for a miracle, sonny. Miracles aren’t something you wanna rush.” The old man shuffled around the table and lifted the Man in Black’s arm, only to drop it back down to the table with a _thump._ “You have money?” He didn’t look up as he asked the question. Instead, he put his ear to the man’s chest and listened as Fezzik and Inigo had already done before leaving the Pit of Despair.

Inigo dug into his pocket and pulled out some bills. “Not much. Will seventy be enough?”

Max lifted his head then and looked at the cash being offered up. “Seventy? Geesh! There was only one time I’ve accepted so little and it was for a very noble cause.”

“This _is_ a noble cause.” Inigo had to come up with some excuse rather than revenge. The best he could think of was, “His wife is crippled…and his children are starving.”

“What a load of crap. Why bother? He probably owes you money or something. I’m sure he’ll tell me what’s _really_ going on.”

Inigo’s brown eyes flickered down the dead man on the table. “But he’s dead,” he replied. He was positive there had been no heartbeat earlier. Had the old man heard otherwise? Now he started to wonder if he and Fezzik had missed something.

“Ohhh, look who thinks he’s Mr. Smarty Pants now.” Max snatched the money Inigo still held in his hand as he came around the table and pocketed it. “No, sir. It happens to be that your young friend here is mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead means they’re still slightly alive. When they’re all dead, there’s only one thing you can do…check their pockets for loose change before burying them.” The man started to look around the room for something as he spoke. “Now where’s that bellows?” he mumbled to himself as he moved a few things around. “Ah, ha!” Pulling the object of his search out from behind a stack of leather-bound books, Max turned to Inigo. “Open his mouth for me.”

The Spaniard lifted a brow out of curiosity, but did as he was told. He watched as Max carefully inserted the end and squeezed the bellows, causing the Man in Black’s chest to rise from the air being pushed into his lungs. After he was done, the miracle worker set the tool down on the floor behind him.

“Hey! Hello in there!” Max shouted to the unconscious man. “Hey, what’s so important that it’s worth living for, huh?” He pushed down on the Man in Black’s chest, forcing the air out.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

He had died…or at least he thought he had.

That was Jared’s first thought as he felt himself becoming aware again…if you could even call it that. He was stuck in the deepest, furthest recesses of his mind. All he could remember was pain…and screaming until his lungs felt like they’d fail him. Actually, he was pretty sure they had.

Something was off… _wrong._

He couldn’t move; it was like his mind had forgotten how to communicate with his body.

He was numb; he could feel nothing.

And he was cold…so cold.

Maybe he _was_ dead and this was Hell. It certainly wasn’t Heaven.

But then he heard the distant sound of words being spoken. To him?

_“Hey! Hello in there!”_

Who the hell was that?

_“Hey, what’s so important that it’s worth living for, huh?”_

He was pulled from the fog momentarily. Jensen. The man he loved was worth living for…

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Both Fezzik and Inigo started when they heard what sounded like words coming from the Man in Black’s mouth.

“’True love’! He said ‘true love’!” Inigo exclaimed excitedly when he heard it.

“Nah.” Miracle Max looked up at him, shaking his head. “That’s not what he said. What he said was ‘to blaithe’. And we all know what that means. It means to bluff. So I’m guessing you were playing cards and he cheated-”

“Liar!” a woman’s shrill voice shouted from the other room. “Liar!” The voice got closer and an old woman came rushing into the room. Her hair was a snarled mess, sticking up much like Max’s, and she was waving her arms all around as she hollered, causing both Inigo and Fezzik to make sure they got out of her way. “Liarrrrr!” she continued to yell.

“Shut up, witch. Can’t you see I’m trying to work!”

“I am not a witch; I’m your wife. But after what you just said, I’m not sure I even want to be that anymore.” She glared at her husband. “True love. Who said true love, Max?”

“I’m warning you, Valerie, not another word.”

“You’re terrified, that’s what you are.” The woman looked at Inigo and Fezzik then. “Ever since Prince Misha fired him, he hasn’t been the same. He has no faith in himself anymore.”

“ _Don’t_ say that name,” Max growled in obvious irritation.

“What? Misha?” She started to taunt the man. “Misha, Misha, Misha!”

“Shut up!”

“Misha!”

“I’m not listening to you!” Max covered his ears and turned around as the woman continued on.

Inigo couldn’t take it anymore. He yelled over the commotion. “Please, everybody, listen to me! This is Jensen’s true love. If you are able to heal him, he will stop Misha’s wedding.”

The elderly couple ceased in their ranting and turned their matching wide, grey eyes to him.

Max smiled; he was suddenly _very_ interested in what Inigo had to say. “You mean if I make him better, Misha will suffer?”

“He will.” The Spaniard nodded.

“Then what the hell are we waiting for? Valerie, get some water boiling!”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Twenty minutes later, Max handed something to Inigo that looked curiously like a lump of chocolate. He looked at the old miracle worker. “This is it?”

Valerie stepped in, nodding somewhat proudly. “The chocolate just helps it go down easier…makes it look nicer, too.” She took Inigo by the arm as she explained what he had to do. “Now, you’ll have to wait fifteen minutes before potency. He probably shouldn’t go swimming for-”

“At least an hour,” Miracle Max cut in.

“Yes, an hour,” Valerie agreed.

“Oookaaay…,” Inigo acknowledged a bit reluctantly, giving a half smile as he did, wondering if this was going to work. These two didn’t seem as promising as the reputation that had preceded them. “Thank you.” He looked to Fezzik who had lifted the dead – or correction, mostly dead – man from the table. “Are you ready?”

“Sure. Let’s go.”

As they left the house, Max and Valerie stood together in the doorway. “’Bye,” they called out in unison, and then Max yelled, “Have fun stormin’ the castle!” He had a big, lopsided grin on his face.

What the Spaniard and the giant didn’t hear as they headed off towards the palace was Valerie asking her husband, “You think it’ll work?”

Max looked at his wife as he continued to wave at their departing guests. “It’ll take a miracle.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The inevitable hour of his wedding was drawing near and there was nothing Jensen could do but sit in his locked rooms, miserable and alone. He was still quite agitated after this morning’s confrontation with Misha.

A little less than an hour ago, a servant had brought a sandwich for him to eat. And Jensen was really feeling the love when he saw that the man was flanked by two of the palace guards. A decanter of brandy had been delivered as well and the empty carafe now sat on the floor by his feet. Jensen was by no means a drinker, but he felt today called for it.

Currently, he was a little less than sober and was just starting to nod off in the warm blanket of heat from the fire place when he heard the lock on his door unbolting. Jensen jumped from the unexpected noise. He stood up from the oversized chair he’d been sitting in for the better part of the day and got to the door just as it opened, the idea of escape immediately filling his mind. (He could make it through two guards…maybe.) His hopes were dashed when one guard stepped into the room and, over his shoulder, Jensen could see two more standing outside in the hallway. Three guards. _Damn. So much for that._ He was stuck.

“Please step aside, sir,” the guard ordered as he came in. Jensen had no choice but to back up as servant after servant bustled into the room carrying hot buckets of water. They proceeded directly to the bathroom and Jensen could hear the tub being filled.

When they were done, the guard relayed orders to Jensen. “His Highness has requested that you bathe thoroughly for this evening’s event. Oh, and also make sure you are clean-shaven. He will come meet with you later to make sure everything is in order. If you need anything before then, there will be someone stationed at your door. Just knock.”

And then Jensen was alone again. He let out a deep sigh of frustration and looked at the door as it _snicked_ shut. _What the hell was he going to do?_

Before he really had time to complete the thought, there was a quiet knock and then the door opened once more. Emily, a young servant – Jensen knew from prior conversations with the girl that she was just barely twelve – stepped into the room. She smiled as she handed Jensen his wedding garments and footwear. “You’re going to be so handsome tonight, Jensen. I can’t wait to see you all dressed up,” she nearly squealed. “The green Prince Misha picked out is just perfect for you; it matches your eyes.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her. She was a sweet girl and Jensen had grown fairly fond of her since he’d arrived at the palace. (Emily had actually reminded him a little of Dani when she was that age.) “Thank you, Em. I’m sure it’ll look just fine.” He reached over and tousled her long, russet-colored locks.

She surprised him by giving him a quick hug and then took off out into the corridor before he could see the blush on her face. The guard reached in and closed the door behind Emily’s exit, locking it.

Jensen laid the clothing out on the bed and dropped his boots onto the floor next to it. Slowly, he began to strip out of his clothing; he didn’t have much on, just a thin, linen shirt and cotton trousers. (He’d changed out of his earlier formalwear not long after being locked in his rooms; the clothing had been too stiff and uncomfortable.) Unfortunately, no matter how much he didn’t like it, he had given the prince his word…and Rugen had been witness to it. If Jared didn’t show up, the wedding would proceed as planned. A bath wasn’t such a bad idea anyway.

For days, Jensen had waited for word from Jared and nothing had ever come. After this morning’s revelation, he now knew why. His letters had most likely been turned into ash within minutes of being written and handed over to the prince. Misha had never intended to send his four fastest ships out; he had only told Jensen that to appease him until it was too late. And it had worked. Jensen was furious at himself for being so gullible.

Now he knew the man for what he truly was, a coward. Misha had known right from the start that Jared would have come back, so he lied. And now Jensen would be married to the prince in less than two hours…that was unless, by some miracle, Jared actually showed up. It was looking less and less like that was going to happen.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he headed into the bathroom.

As usual, the scent of lavender filled the room. Obviously, Misha had a thing for the flowery fragrance; it never bothered Jensen until now. Fluffy, white towels and sweet-scented soaps had been laid out next to the tub by the servants and a sharpened razor was waiting for him beside the wash basin.

Jensen bit into his bottom lip and smiled. He would wash, but he would simply _forget_ to shave. _Screw Misha and what he wants,_ he thought as he slipped into the tub of hot water. Jared always liked the rugged look. (Jensen had, too, for that matter.)

Thoughts of Jared pervaded his mind and just thinking of the man had Jensen’s hand wandering down between his legs. If Jensen was going to marry tonight, he was at least going to satisfy himself on the memories of his true love beforehand. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the last time they had made love in the forest of Guilder. His dick hardened at the remembrance of Jared stretching him wide, prepping him to take the younger man’s thick and heavy cock into him.

Jensen groaned as he let his fingers slip further down, fingertips teasing at his tight furl of muscle. He pushed one inside and began a slow slip-slide of the digit in and out. Water lapped at the edges of the tub and spilled out onto the stone floor as he slid a second in soon after.

“Jared.” The word was but a whisper. He reached down with his other hand and grasped his now hardened length and began to stroke his cock as he continued to finger himself open.

The steam from the water had caused beads of sweat to gather on Jensen’s forehead and they ran in rivulets down his nose and temples. He gasped quietly, hips rolling upward as he fisted himself, thumb sweeping over and around the crown, dipping into the slit. He added a third finger and shuddered as he imagined his lover touching him ever so gently. “Shit, yeah. Feels good…”

He pulled his fingers free and let his head fall back against the lip of the tub, gritting his teeth as he felt his body begin to tense up. Behind his closed eyelids, Jensen could see Jared’s beautiful gold-flecked, hazel eyes staring at him so tenderly as he wet his kiss-swollen lips. Jensen could feel tears begin to prick at his eyes. “Jared. Oh, god,” he moaned.

Jensen felt his balls tighten up and he cried out as his orgasm raced through his body. His free hand reached out and clutched the edge of the tub, fingers curling around it, knuckles white; his back arched and his toes curled as thick, hot ropes of cum shot out under the water. “Jared.” This time the word came out on a sob.

Salty tears mingled with sweat as he pulled his knees up to his chest and cried afterward. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to face the reality of what he was about to do in just a short while.

“I need you, Jared. Where are you? I can’t do this. I just can’t. I love you so much.” The words kept falling from his lips in between sniffles and sobs. “I’m so sorry.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Dusk had settled over the palace; it found Inigo and Fezzik high up on a curtain wall of the castle with a still unconscious Jared propped up next to them. They looked down at the gate from the battlement; it was just closing behind the last of the wedding guests to arrive.

“There’s more than thirty guards down there now, Inigo,” Fezzik stated the obvious.

“That no longer matters. We have him.” Inigo crouched down in front of the Man in Black. He pulled a small bit of cloth out of his pocket and unwrapped the miracle pill. “Come here, Fezzik. Hold him up and keep his mouth open while I get this into him.”

“But it hasn’t been fifteen minutes yet.”

“We don’t have time. The wedding is in half an hour.”

The giant reached down and pulled Jared up straight and then carefully pried the man’s mouth open between his thick fingers.

“Keep your fingers crossed,” Inigo said as he tucked the pill deep down into the back of the Man in Black’s throat. He rubbed the outside of his throat to help it go down.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared had fallen off to oblivion again after he had answered the question being asked of him earlier. “True love” he had answered the man. True love was what was worth living for. But yet his body didn’t seem to care as it continued to lie limp and unresponsive as he found himself pulling out of darkness once more.

Things seemed different this time. This time he felt prickles of _pain_ , like his foot had fallen asleep, but all over his body _._ But that was a good thing, right? At least he was feeling something as opposed to his earlier nothing. That had to count for something.

Jared mentally took inventory of his body. There wasn’t much to celebrate at the moment, but his breathing _did_ feel less restrictive. That was good. It meant that he was getting some much needed oxygen into his lungs. Jared concentrated on his breathing: in…out…in…out; he could feel his chest expand and contract. It was like coming up for air after being underwater for too long.

As he worked on the not-so-simple task of breathing, Jared heard vaguely familiar voices.

“How long will we have to wait before we know if it worked?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never done this before. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

It took a while, but he managed to pry his eyes open. (Even that hurt.) What – or rather who – he saw as he first opened his eyes angered (confused?) him. It was the blurry image of the Spaniard and the giant both crouching down in front of him, watching…waiting.

Talking just sort of happened without thinking. “What do you want? I’ll take you both down, single-handed!”

Neither man moved – not that they needed to; Jared’s whole body remained deathly still – and Inigo rested a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re not here to hurt you. Just give me a moment to explain.”

“Why can’t I move my arms?” Jared was beginning to panic just a little. “And my legs?”

Inigo wondered how he was going to explain the situation to the man, but Fezzik went for the blunt truth. “You’ve been mostly dead all day. You are just waking up.”

 _Mostly dead? Shit._ But that sounded about right. Fucking Rugen and his machine; that’s what it was.

Inigo jumped in before Fezzik said anything further. “Yes, we went to Miracle Max and had him make a miracle pill for you. It has woken you up. I’m sure it’ll take time for the rest of you to come around.”

“Are we friend or foe? Why am I here? Where’s Jensen?” Jared’s fingers twitched on his right hand.

“Look, you moved your fingers!” Fezzik pointed out.

“Is that supposed to make me happy? What about the rest of my damn body? I’m useless like this,” he snapped, unable to keep his anger – or was it panic? – in check. “Now again, why have you brought me here, wherever here is?” Jared’s eyes moved between the two men.

The Spaniard stood and looked down at the Man in Black and replied, “Jensen is marrying Misha in less than half an hour. All we need to do is get into the castle, stop the wedding, steal your love, and escape…but only after I kill Count Rugen.”

“A half hour?” Jared lifted his brow, getting more control over his muscles as the minutes went by. There was no time to get to Jensen, not in the shape he was in. “And how exactly are we going to do that?” he had to ask.

“Fezzik, get him up and show him.”

Jared’s eyes moved to watch the giant as the man lifted him and half-dragged him over to the front edge of the wall, setting him up against it. “That’s a lot to get through, don’t you think?” he said as he peered down at the swarm of guards.

“I need you to come up with something,” Inigo said.

Jared laughed and his chin dropped down to his shoulder as he replied to the Spaniard; he had no control over his neck muscles as of yet. “Maybe if I had a month to figure it all out, but on the fly? What do we even have with to work with?”

“Your brains, my sword skills, and Fezzik’s brawn.”

“Ha! That’s it? Seriously?” Jared’s eyes rolled toward the gate again. “If only we had a wheelbarrow,” he mused.

“But we have one,” Inigo stated.

“And you didn’t tell me this, why?”

Inigo ignored the Man in Black and looked up at Fezzik. “Where’s the wheelbarrow the albino had?”

“On the albino, I think.”

Jared was silent as he thought. There were too many men down there to confront face-to-face. He racked his brain. “What I wouldn’t give for a holocaust cloak,” he mumbled to himself.

“Now that I can’t help you with,” Inigo professed, hearing the man’s utterance.

“How about this?” Fezzik asked as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a long, heavy, black cloak.

“Where’d you get that?” The Spaniard looked at the giant in awe.

“Miracle Max gave it to me. It fit so well, he said I could keep it.”

“Well, I’ll be…”

“Help get me up,” Jared interrupted. “And I’ll need a sword.”

Fezzik lifted the Man in Black up to a standing position, but Inigo just looked at him. “Why do you need a sword? You can’t even lift one.” He glanced down at the man’s limp arms.

Jared felt himself slump in the giant’s grip. “Why don’t you say it a little louder?” he scowled. “As long as no one knows, I’ll be fine.” An instant later, Inigo had produced a sword for him. “Thank you,” he said as he managed to clasp his fingers around the hilt of the weapon. And then the younger man looked at the palace. “There may be a problem once we get inside.”

“I think I’ll have to agree with you on that,” Inigo’s eyes drifted back over to the towering castle. “How do I find the count once I am inside? And then how do I find you once I am done? And then how do we escape after?”

Jared’s eyes rolled and he failed to answer. The last few minutes had drained him of his meager reserves of energy. He found himself practically nodding off in the giant’s arm.

“Inigo, maybe you shouldn’t ask so many questions. He’s had a bad day.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry,” he said as he noticed the man slipping away again. Maybe this was too much for him so soon.

“Inigo?”

“Yeah?”

“I hope we win.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Misha came through the door, practically bouncing. One glance at his fiancé and he could instantly see the melancholy. “Jensen, my sweet, why are you so down? We’re about to be married in just a few minutes.” His eyes were bright and gleaming as he crossed the room and approached his soon-to-be husband. “I’m so full of excitement, I can hardly contain it. You should be, too.”

Jensen was sitting by the window in his room, willing Jared to show up at the gate and take him away. He looked over at his betrothed; the man was just a little too buoyant for his liking at the moment; the wide, all-too-white, toothy grin on his face nearly made him retch. _Really, how could the man act as if this morning didn’t happen?_ “Misha… God, have you no conscience?” His voice picked up in volume as he stared at the man, a man who he had once thought handsome, but now thought was so ugly. “After what you’ve done to me?” Jensen stood up then, his temper rising. “How can you even go there? I can’t be happy; I never will be, not until Jared comes for me. And he still has time.”

Misha stepped into the younger man’s space and looked him directly in the eye. The cheery façade fell from his face and his expression hardened, became icy. “If he doesn’t, we _will_ wed, Jensen. You told me yourself that you would.” When Jensen closed his eyes and dropped his head in defeat, the prince reached out and lifted his chin so the man would look at him; he frowned when he noticed the stubble catching under his fingers. But Misha forced the coldness away and managed a sympathetic smile. “Don’t look so sad, angel. It doesn’t become you.” He lowered his hand. “Now, get yourself together. We’ve got guests and I don’t want to keep them waiting. Things are almost ready. Someone will come for you shortly.” Misha leaned in and kissed Jensen briefly on the lips. “You look gorgeous, by the way.” And then he turned on his heel, swiftly leaving the room.

A lone tear rolled down Jensen’s cheek and he looked to the window again. Jared was out there somewhere. There was still time, not much, but some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to comment! I love hearing from you :)
> 
> Thank you again for reading!!


	8. Chapter 8

Jensen was presently standing at the altar, the prince to his left, and a chapel full to swelling with people from all over the country at his back. He became fidgety as he stood there waiting for the clergyman to begin. Reaching up, Jensen tucked a finger in his ever tightening collar and pulled it away from his neck. He was still surprised that he hadn’t stumbled on the long walk he had just made down the aisle…alone.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that his father’s seat remained unoccupied. _Where was his dad?_ The man had been Jensen’s only invite – Misha hadn’t allowed him to invite anyone else; after all, Jensen _was_ a commoner – and he had given the letter to the courier himself just a few days before his kidnapping. _Was his absence due to another betrayal by Misha?_ Jensen glanced at the man next to him and caught his eye. Misha only arched an eyebrow in question when he saw Jensen looking at him. Jensen looked at his dad’s vacant place, then back to the prince. When the man caught on to what he was inquiring about, he only shrugged, and then nodded back towards the clergyman, silently telling Jensen to pay attention. Things were about to get started.

Jensen obediently turned back to the preacher who stood smiling in front of them. He let out a resigned sigh as he did so. It looked like this was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not…with or without the support of his only family, his father.

“Marriage,” the clergyman began, his powerful voice resonating into the furthest corners of the chapel. “Marriage is what brings us here today. Marriage, that blessed arrangement between two people who love each other, that dream within a dream.”

As the ceremony got underway, Jensen tried to keep from panicking, tried to breathe normally, but those words set something off in his brain…and he panicked. _This isn’t happening. Oh, god, this can’t be happening._ Jensen’s hands began to tremble and he chewed on his bottom lip; he could feel sweat breaking out on his brow, under his shirt... Maybe he should have had another glass of brandy – or three – before coming to the chapel.

“Stand your ground, men! Stand your ground!” Yellin’s deep voice roared from outside.

Jensen, as well as every other person in the room, turned to look in the direction of the commotion coming from outside.

“Stand your ground!”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

 _This is so ridiculous that it just might work_ , Jared thought as he clung to Inigo’s back, still unable to walk – or stand for that matter – under the power of his own legs. The Spaniard was breathing heavily under Jared’s dead weight and the stress of pushing the albino’s wheelbarrow which Fezzik was now standing on.

The giant was adorned in the holocaust cloak, hood pulled up to cover his face, and looking just a little bit more intimidating than he usually did. Jared thought the whole costume was actually quite impressive; he hoped it was enough. The sounds of the wedding music had echoed through the courtyard less than twenty minutes ago which meant they needed to get inside to stop the ceremony or Jensen would be forever lost to him.

“I am the Dread Pirate Roberts!” Fezzik bellowed out to the square in front of the palace gate. “There will be no survivors!”

“Now?” Inigo asked Jared, voice sounding a touch strained.

“Not yet. Just a little more.”

“My men are here! I am here!” The giant continued. “But soon you will not be here!”

Jared cringed. They had gone over the script several times and Fezzik was doing his best, but… _really?_

Inigo grunted under Fezzik’s weight and pushed him further into the square. “Now?” The question was nearly pleading. He slipped all of a sudden and nearly lost his grip on the wheelbarrow.

“Yeah. I think we’re good. Light ‘im up.”

Fezzik’s robe went up in a whirlwind of flames as the Spaniard lit it with a torch. Jared could see fear in some of the guard’s eyes; some even scattered within seconds which is what they had intended.

“The Dread Pirate Roberts takes no survivors! All your worst nightmares have but to come true.”

Jared groaned at Fezzik’s words, but he couldn’t complain; the guards were starting to flee in larger quantities. Just a little longer…

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Then love, true love, will follow you forever…”

Jensen kept looking back over his shoulder to where the chaos could still be heard coming from outside. Misha had grown irritated with his lack of attention and had reached over to grab his arm tightly. With a look, he forced Jensen to face the clergyman. But the younger man saw something in the prince’s eyes. It was only fleeting…Jensen could have sworn it was alarm.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“The Dread Pirate Roberts is here for your soul!”

Yellin was just inside the portcullis with his back pressed up against the heavy, wooden gate; he watched from inside as most of his men ran off like rats running from a flood. He had to admit, he was scared shitless himself. The few men who remained would be greatly rewarded if they made it through this. He shouted a command for them to move forward and fight.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“So treasure your-”

“Skip to the end!” Misha hissed, interrupting the ceremony. They had no time for this, not with whatever was going on outside.

The clergyman stopped. “Have you the ring?”

Jensen looked at the prince, eyes wide. And then he knew. He knew why the man was doing this. “He’s here, isn’t he?” Jensen asked, words far too quiet for anyone but Misha to hear.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared counted down as the guards ran. Two remained…oh, wait, no…only one now. And the one remaining looked like the man-at-arms, their captain. Just the person they needed to have a little talk with.

“Fezzik can drop the act now,” he said to Inigo. “Tell him he can take off the cloak before he catches himself on fire.”

The Spaniard got the giant’s attention and a moment later, the cloak was shed and dropped to the ground where the flames quietly burned themselves out.

“Fezzik, the portcullis,” Jared called out to him over Inigo’s shoulder.

The big man grunted and huffed as Inigo and Jared looked on. Muscles strained, and slowly Fezzik lifted the heavy, iron grating up.

Jared sighed a breath of relief. That was one less thing between him and Jensen.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen watched Misha, mouth pressed into a tight line, and waited for a response. As he did, more noise could be heard from outside, men yelling, dogs barking.

“Your precious Jared is dead. I killed him myself this morning.”

For a brief instant, Jensen felt panic surge through him; he clenched his fingers tightly into fists. But as he stared at the prince in hatred, he saw something, something that gave him a renewed hope. “No,” he shook his head slowly and began to smile. “You’re scared. I can see it in your eyes. Jared’s not dead. He’s outside right now; he’s gonna stop this wedding.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Sorry to bother you, but I need to ask for the key,” Jared requested of Yellin. The poor, old man looked petrified as he looked around with wild eyes, trying to look for a way to escape.

He shook his head. “I have no such key.” The man was practically shaking in his boots.

“Fezzik,” Inigo called out coolly.

Yellin’s eyes widened in fear as he saw the giant come forward and he quickly pulled the key hanging from his neck out of his shirt. “You mean this key? Here,” he lifted the chain over his head. “Take it.” He very nearly shoved it into Inigo’s hand before pushing through them and running away into the night.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Misha had called two guards over to stand behind Jensen. He was too close to lose this now. _If_ it was indeed Jared outside – although he wasn’t sure how that was even possible; he was sure he had killed the fiend this morning – he wouldn’t give the man a chance to get his hands back on Jensen. Jensen belonged to him now, not Jared.

Jensen felt the cool, brooding presence of the guards behind him, one over each shoulder. (He swore they were the two biggest men in the royal guard.) He knew what they were there for, to keep him from bolting, but he was sure the guests only thought it was for his protection. The fact that they were there gave him hope though. It _had_ to be Jared out there or Misha wouldn’t have bothered. The ceremony still had at least another forty-five minutes of talk before their vows were to be exchanged. He had always hated long weddings, but tonight he hoped this one would last as long as it possibly could.

“Do you Jensen-”

The prince stepped forward. This was taking far too long and he had to get Jensen out of here. “You know what, just say ‘married!’ Say ‘married’!”

Jensen’s jaw dropped. _Could he actually do that?_ He stared between the clergyman and the prince.

The priest stopped and looked at the prince for a moment. Misha urged him on with a nod. And then the elderly man said, “I now pronounce you married. Congratulations.”

As soon as the words were finished, Misha grabbed Jensen’s left hand and slipped a gold band onto his ring finger. Jensen looked at the man, mouth slightly agape because of what had just happened. He figured the prince would kiss him now, braced himself for it even, but instead Misha issued an order to the guards behind him. “Escort my new husband to his rooms. And take the back way. It’s longer, but it’s safer. I’ll be there shortly.”

Jensen was stunned. _I’m married?_ As he was pulled away, he looked behind him at the prince – his husband – and the man had a satisfied, but smug smile on his face. _Jared didn’t come. Had he been wrong? Was he truly dead as Misha had said? Oh god._ He thought for sure he would be saved and he’d be able to run away with his true love. Jensen’s life as he knew it was over. Shock claimed him and he let himself be led away by the two men.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared hated the fact that his body was taking so long to come around. They were in the castle now, having come through a door much further from the chapel than he would have preferred – it was the only one they could find that was unlocked and unguarded – and Fezzik was half carrying him through the endless halls following Inigo. The Spaniard was on a mission; he was looking for the six-fingered man, the count.

It didn’t take long for them to find the man…actually, they sort of found each other. They met him, along with four of his guards, at the intersection of two corridors.

The count didn’t seem fazed by the three intruders. He confidently instructed his men without thought. “Kill the dark one and the giant, but leave the third for questioning.”

The guards rushed them, but Inigo stepped in front of Jared and Fezzik, sword raised. One…two…three…four, every man went down, leaving Rugen standing alone, expression rolling between that of fury and shock, his dark eyes never leaving the Spaniard.

Inigo stepped over the slain men and started to approach the count slowly; he had waited twenty years for this moment. “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

The count raised his sword, prepared for the duel, but suddenly he appeared to change his mind at the last second; he spun on his heel and ran. The Spaniard chased him down the long hallway and around a corner, but the man escaped into a side room, slamming a thick, wooden door in his face and barring it from the inside.

“Fezzik, I need you! Please, he’s getting away.” Inigo kicked the door and then backed up across the hall, only to run and throw his body into it. All he gained from that was a sore shoulder; the door didn’t even budge. “Fezzik!”

Jared could hear the poor man yelling. He knew what it was like to want vengeance. “Go help him, Fezz. I’ll be alright.”

The giant looked down at Jared. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. Just, um, prop me up against something.”

“Okay.” The man looked around for somewhere to leave the Man in Black. His eyes came to rest on a suit of armor on display.

Jared saw what he was looking at. “That’s good enough.” Even with Fezzik’s great size, he was still gentle with Jared as he leaned the man up against the armor. “Go help you friend. He needs you. Besides, we took too long at the front gate. By the time we get through the additional guards, it’ll be too late; they’ll already be married.” He swallowed thickly as he finally admitted that fact to himself.

Jared wondered if Jensen would actually say ‘I do’. He couldn’t see him doing it, but his love seemed subtly different from the man he had known five years ago. Jared couldn’t be positive; he’d been shunned twice already. Although, the first time Jensen had thought he was dead – that was partially Jared’s own fault; he should have tried harder to get a letter to him – and the second, Jensen thought he was saving him from the prince. Jared couldn’t hold either against the man.

Fezzik looked at the Man in Black and smiled. “You’re a good person.” He went to turn and then stopped. “What’s your name anyway?”

Jared grinned with the realization that neither Inigo nor Fezzik knew his name. “It’s Jared.”

“Well, Jared, it’s nice to meet you finally.” Then Fezzik took off to help Inigo in his mission to kill the count.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jared looked up and down the corridor, trying to place where he was in the palace. If his memory served him correctly, one of the hallways they had passed led to the private royal wing. (Yes, Jared had studied the layout of the palace once he had heard Jensen had gotten engaged. You never knew when you’d have to know things like that, things like exactly where his love’s room was most likely to be.) He wanted to see Jensen one last time before he left.

Little by little, Jared pushed his legs to take on more of his weight. “Come on, legs, work,” he muttered. And then he found himself upright, a bit wobbly, but still, he was standing. Okay, standing was one thing, but could he walk?

He lifted a foot – and _damn_ the effort it took just to do that – and he placed it in front of him. Jared nearly fell, but he steadied himself with a hand on the wall. _One at a time,_ he told himself. Slowly, but surely, he made his way down the hall.

It took time, but Jared finally came to the door he assumed was Jensen’s. When he turned the knob and pushed it open, he knew without a doubt that he was in the right place. Certain things around the room were just _Jensen_ …the way the shoes were situated at the foot of the bed, or the way a book was left on one of the chairs by the fireplace, reading glasses placed on top. He smiled when he noticed one of his old shirts tossed over the back of one of the chairs. (Jensen had kept something of his.)

Jared was brought back from his thoughts when his body started to give out, causing him to reach out to support himself on the doorframe; he’d used up what energy he had to get to this room. Pushing himself the last little bit, he made it over to the bed and lay down with a sigh. Jensen was sure to be here shortly. The man would have to change from his ceremony garb into the black and green silk-accented doublet and breeches which were currently hanging from a hook on the wall. There was sure to be a grand reception for the newly married couple in just a short while.

He must’ve dozed for a few moments because he was awoken to the sound of someone sniffling across the room at the writing desk. As Jared blinked his eyes to clear them, he saw Jensen sitting there, pondering heavily over a pearl-handled dagger in his shaking hands. Jared saw the man’s body tense up as he flipped the blade and pressed the point over his heart.

Jared tried to move, but he was too exhausted. “Jen, no,” he called out weakly, voice full of pain as he watched the man he loved readying himself to take his own life. “Don’t.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Jensen had gotten tunnel vision as he entered his rooms. He’d gone directly to his desk and unsheathed the knife which he knew to be there. Not wanting to live alone in a world without his true love, he had made his decision. He’d tried to live without the man once before, but he knew there was no life without Jared.

Just as he began to press the blade into his flesh, he heard the voice he thought he’d never hear again. The dagger dropped from his numb fingers and he spun in his chair. And there, spread out on his bed, was Jared looking somewhat distraught over what he had almost just witnessed.

“Jared? But…” He was at a loss for words as he jumped out of his chair and ran across the room. When Jared didn’t move to get up, Jensen climbed up onto the bed and straddled the man. “I thought I lost you again.” His eyes shone with tears of happiness. “Misha said he killed you…and then you didn’t come, so I thought the worst.”

A half-smile appeared on Jared’s face. “Well, he sorta did, but don’t you know by now that you can’t get rid of me that easily.” His grin widened, causing his dimples to deepen.

Jensen laughed and leaned down to kiss his love, but he moved too quickly for Jared to react and ended up making the man hit his head on the headboard behind him.

“Careful,” Jared mumbled into the kiss.

The older man immediately pulled away, looking Jared over. That was when he noticed the man wasn’t moving. “Christ, what the hell did he do to you? How did you even get here?” Jensen began to smooth his hands over Jared’s chest with a gentle tenderness.

“I’ll be fine. I just need some time is all.”

Jensen reached down and took hold of Jared’s right hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it, and then moved the man’s hand up to his stubbled cheek just to have skin-to-skin contact with his lover. He was shocked at how limp his lover’s arm was. Whatever Misha had done to him had been bad.

Jared’s smile faded when he saw a golden gleam on Jensen’s finger. “So you did it then… You got married,” he said, eyes not leaving the ring.

Jensen saw where Jared was looking and he pulled his hand away, ashamed. “I… God, Jared… I didn’t want to. It all happened so fast.” The life that had been in his eyes just moments ago withered. “Misha just pushed the priest through the ceremony, made him say ‘married’, put this damn thing,” he waved his left hand up between them, “on me, and sent me off with the guards. Believe me when I tell you, I wouldn’t have done it if I’d had a choice.” He dropped his eyes down to Jared’s chest and gave a forlorn sigh.

Jared processed what Jensen was telling him and then he frowned. “You didn’t say ‘I do’?”

Lifting saddened eyes to Jared’s comforting hazel, Jensen shook his head. “We skipped that part, went right to the end.” And then he saw Jared grin. “What?” _Why in the hell would Jared be smiling at a time like this?_

“Then it never happened.”

“But Jared, it did. I was right there. ‘Married’ is what the old man said. And,” again he waved his hand in the air, “ring! To me that says married. I’m screwed.”

“But you never said ‘I do’. It didn’t happen. – Isn’t that right, Your Highness?” Jared’s eyes looked beyond Jensen towards the door.

“Just a technicality which will shortly be remedied.”

Jensen nearly fell off of Jared; the unexpected sound of Misha’s voice startled him. He slid from his lover’s lap to the edge of the bed. “So we’re not-”

“Shush, angel. Like I said, it’ll all be legal and binding shortly.” Misha never took his eyes from Jared, not trusting the man in the least as he spoke. “You, _Jared_ , are starting to become a thorn in my side. That is another thing that needs to be remedied.” The prince drew his rapier out of its scabbard with a long scrape of metal on leather. “To the death!”

Jensen quickly stood up and got between Misha and his apparently helpless lover, but before he could say anything, he heard Jared’s stern words. “Jensen, no. This is between the prince and me.”

The older man knew the rules of dueling. If Jared didn’t accept the challenge, he would forfeit any chance they had at getting out of this together and the man would surely be killed then. He looked back at Jared who was, to his surprise, now sitting up. Something about the way man the man held himself frightened Jensen.

Jared moved to the edge of the bed; his jaw was set and his eyes shone with a deadly coldness. “To the pain!” he challenged back.

That threw Misha off. He tilted his head and pinched his eyebrows together, frowning. _What was it with this man?_ he thought to himself. “Um, I don’t think I’m familiar with that phrase.”

Jensen had been baffled at the words as well, but he kept his mouth shut, trusting Jared knew what he was doing.

“Then I will explain…using small words so you’ll be sure to understand, you low-life piece of filth.”

“You should know, I don’t take to insults very well.” A cruel grin twisted on Misha’s handsome features. “Just ask Jensen, here. Isn’t that right, angel?”

Jensen thought back to this morning, to their argument in the prince’s rooms. He unconsciously reached up to his left shoulder. It was still a little bit sore from the earlier encounter.

Jared continued, although he wondered what the man had done to Jensen. “You’re gonna need to get used to it then. To the pain means the first thing you lose will be your feet below the ankles…then your hands at your wrists. Next will be your nose-”

The prince shifted impatiently, becoming irritated. There were other things he needed to get to tonight, like fucking his husband until he screamed and then killing him. He cut Jared off, wanting to end this drivel. “Then my tongue, I’m guessing. Am I right? Enough of this! Let me kill you properly this time because obviously I didn’t quite get it done right before.”

“I’m not finished!” Jared growled. “The next thing you lose will be your left eye, followed by the right.”

Misha’s temper was rising. “Yes, I know! And then my ears. I understand. Please, my schedule is awfully full tonight. There are really things I’d much rather be doing than dealing with this foolishness.”

“You will hear me out!” Jared dropped his feet to the floor as he continued. “You will _keep_ your ears…and I’ll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness is yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman that cries out, ‘Dear god what is that _thing!_ ’ will echo in your perfect ears. _That_ is what ‘to the pain’ means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.”

Jensen swallowed as he listened to Jared. The man was pissed; he’d never seen him this angry before. Jensen looked at Misha and saw his harsh glare waver under the threat of Jared’s words.

“I think you’re bluffing,” Misha said, but he didn’t sound overly confident.

“Can you be so sure? I mean, I might be. I’m only still on this bed because I lack the strength to stand. But,” Jared smiled, “perhaps I have the strength to stand after all.”

Both Jensen and Misha watched as Jared stood up slowly and then raised his sword. Their expressions were very similar to one another…brows raised in shock, jaws dropping. Misha _knew_ Jared had practically been dead just that very morning. And Jensen didn’t know as much, but just a little while ago, Jared had been too weak to even lift a hand to touch him.

“Drop. Your. Sword,” Jared said in a very commanding tone.

“Sure, yeah, okay,” Misha squeaked, immediately dropping his façade, and tossed his sword to the side, suddenly scared to death of the man in front of him.

“Now, sit.” Misha did so without hesitation. “Jensen, tie him up. I’m sure you’ll want to make it fairly tight.”

Jensen looked around for something to secure the man with. He spotted the ties for the curtains and pulled them down. Just as he was cinching the last knot around Misha’s left wrist, he stumbled back as another man came running into the room; there was blood under the hand he held up to his stomach.

“Have you seen Fezzik?” the man asked breathlessly.

That was when Jensen realized who the guy was: the Spaniard who had helped kidnap him. And the man seemed to know Jared. _What the hell?_

“I thought he was with you,” Jared replied and went to take a step away from the bed. His legs gave out and he almost fell over as he did. He had to reach out to catch himself on the bedpost before he found himself on the floor.

Jensen was too busy trying to figure out what was going on when Inigo looked at him and said, “I think you should go help him.”

He stood up from crouching in front of Misha and looked between the two men. _Could this day get any stranger?_ “Can someone tell me what’s going on?”

“He has no strength; he needs help.”

Looking back at Jared, Jensen saw the man nod. “It’s true; he’s right.”

“I knew it!” Misha yelled sourly. “I knew you were full of it.” He flinched and quieted when Inigo’s sword appeared at his throat. “I knew he was…,” he said to the Spaniard.

“Shall I take care of him?” Inigo looked to Jared, waiting for the word.

“No. Whatever happens, I want him to live a long and lonely life…alone in his misery.”

The three men turned from Misha when they heard a deep voice call up from the courtyard below the window. “Inigo! Inigo! Where are you?”

“It’s Fezzik!” Inigo ran to the window and pushed it wide.

“Oh, Inigo, there you are!” The giant was standing just below, holding onto the reins to four white horses. “These were in the prince’s stable. I figured there are four of us, if we ever found Jensen.” Jensen peeked out the window over the Spaniard’s shoulder just then, curious to see the scene below. “Oh, hello, Jensen!” The man smiled broadly and waved. “So I took them figuring we’d need them…and I guess we do.”

“Fezzik, you are wonderful.” Inigo grinned.

It wasn’t far to the ground, but they’d all have to make a jump for it. The royal guard was bound to be floating around in the halls, looking for anything amiss…and the four of them certainly fit that bill.

“Jensen, you go first,” Jared said.

Jensen looked down. Once again, he wasn’t scared of heights, but jumping out of a second story window had never entered his mind before. “Uh, yeah. You know, the front door isn’t too far away. I could just-”

“Go on, Jen. He’ll catch you. And believe me when I tell you, he’s strong. You’ll be fine.” Jared leaned over and gave him a reassuring kiss.

Jensen took a deep breath and climbed out onto the ledge. _I can do this. Sure…_ Giving one last look over his shoulder at Jared, he closed his eyes and pushed off…praying to god Fezzik would catch him. Seconds later, he found himself in the arms of the gentle giant. “Thanks, Fezzik.”

“Sure, Jensen.” Fezzik smiled as he carefully set the man down on his feet.

Jared watched to make sure Jensen had landed safely and then he looked at Inigo, eyes dropping to the red blossoming under the man’s hand. “Y’okay?”

Inigo looked down at the sticky, red mess. “Yeah, just a scratch.” He gave a not-so-genuine smile and said, “You know, it’s strange. I’ve been in the revenge business for so long, I don’t know what to do now that it’s over.”

“So you got him, the count?”

This time the smile rose to the Spaniard’s eyes. “Yeah, I did. My father can now rest peacefully.”

“That’s great. I’m happy for you. – Hey, you ever think about going into piracy?” Jared smirked. “You’d make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.”

Both men laughed and then Inigo pushed off the ledge; Jared followed behind him a moment later.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

It was over. Jensen and Jared had the world in front of them. It might not be royalty, but who needed royalty when they had true love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave comments. They are greatly appreciated :)


	9. Epilogue

They rode off into the night, splitting up from the Spaniard and the giant, but agreeing to meet later the next day.

At dawn, the two young lovers came to a stop high up on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Jared took the moment to point his ship, the Revenge, out to Jensen; she was anchored off-shore, not too far away. The older man was stunned at how beautiful the vessel was as the sun’s golden rays streaked across the water and lit her up.

“She’s quite a ship, Jared, beautiful really.” He looked over to Jared after a while. “How are you holding up?” The man looked better, but then again, he’d had him fooled earlier in the evening.

“Better. I can actually feel my legs and arms now. I should be good after some rest.” The younger man glanced at Jensen’s left hand and his forehead creased into a frown. “You gonna take that thing off?”

“What?” Jensen looked down and realized what Jared was talking about. “Oh. Shit. Yeah.” He pulled the ring off, and without thinking twice about it, he threw it over the ledge and into the sea far below. “Sorry, I didn’t have time-”

“It’s okay, Jen. _We’re_ okay.” Jared eyed Jensen. The man couldn’t hide the guilt that was coursing through his body; he was too tense with it. “None of it was your fault, you know.”

“But I shouldn’t have ever agreed to marry him. I could’ve said no.” Jensen stared out over the rolling sea, unable to look at Jared for what he’d done.

“Is that what he made you think? Jen, he would have made you do it even if you told him no. He’s the prince. He’s allowed to do what he wants. Anyway, you thought I was dead. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Jensen was about to bring up the incident after the fire swamp, but he didn’t get a chance to when Jared slipped out of his saddle and walked over to him.

“C’mere.” The man reached up and tugged Jensen down from his horse. He held him at an arm’s distance and looked him in the eye. “Don’t. No more. It’s done. You did what you thought was right and I know that.” Jared reached up and cupped the side of the Jensen’s cheek, sweeping a thumb over the freckles he loved so much. “I’ve missed you, babe.”

Jensen’s gaze focused on Jared, the love in his eyes, his soft lips and his pink tongue as it peeked out, wetting them. He grinned suddenly. Jared had forgiven him. “Kiss me, farmboy.”

Jared smiled; his dimples deepened as he brought his other hand up to cup the back of Jensen’s head. “As you wish.” He pulled his lover forward and tilted his head to sweep his tongue over the man’s lips, tasting what he’d been missing for so long, what he thought would be forever taken from him.

Jensen melted into Jared. With a quiet sigh, he opened his mouth to the man’s questing tongue and met him halfway. It felt as if Jared’s kiss could erase the last five years, bring them home to where they belonged. It was the first time Jensen could feel confident in their future together. He let his hands roam up the man’s broad, muscular back and clung to him. This time he would never let him go…never.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Since the invention of the kiss, there had been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.

**_The End_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, another story has come to an end. Thank you so much for sticking through it.
> 
>  
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> (Again, any borrowed lines from the movie, I give full credit to Goldman and 20th Century Fox.)

**Author's Note:**

> Please remember to leave comments. If you don't feel like leaving a comment and like the story even just a little, hit the Kudos button so I know you were here.
> 
> Thank you!
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> **NEW** I've added my e-mail to my profile. If anyone should like to contact me for anything, please feel free to drop me a line :)


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